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I am trying to prove the following statement: if $b_1\mid a$ and $b_2\mid a$ and $\gcd(b_1,b_2)=1,$ show that $b_1b_2\mid a$.

Well for starters we can write $a=b_1q_1$ and $a=b_2q_2$ for some $q_1,q_2\in\mathbb{Z}$.

I am not sure how I am supposed to use the fact that $\gcd(b_1,b_2)=1$.

We have $a=b_1q_1=b_2q_2$, so I think we must have $q_1=kq_2$ for some $k\in\mathbb{Z}$, as otherwise they cannot be equal.

SAQ
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This statement follows pretty easily from the uniqueness of the prime decomposition. The prime powers that divide $b_1$ and the prime powers that divide $b_2$ (the two sets of primes are disjoint, since $b_1, b_2$ are coprime) must all appear in the decomposition of $a$, and so we get that the product of all these prime powers, which is $b_1b_2$, divides $a$.

However, this can also be proved without using prime decompositions. Since $\gcd(b_1,b_2)=1$, there are some $k,l\in\mathbb{Z}$ such that $kb_1+lb_2=1$. Now multiply this equality by $a$ and see what you get. Hint: Remember that instead of $a$ you can substitute $q_1b_1$ or $q_2b_2$ if needed.

Mark
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    Please strive not to post more (dupe) answers to dupes of FAQs. This is enforced site policy, see here. It's best for site health to delete this answer (which also minimizes community time wasted on dupe processing.) – Bill Dubuque Jan 21 '24 at 23:04