Factors

[Schrodinger56]

Hi

This is my first post so I hope you'll bare with me.

I accept it a fairly easy procedure to find the factors of 18 which are 1,2,3,6,9 and 18. However when it comes to finding the factors of larger numbers such as 126 (which for interest are 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 14, 18, 21, 42, 63 and 126.) is there any easy way to find factors of such large(ish) numbers such as 126?

Thanks
S56

[KatieB]

Take the number in this case 126
Split up into its prime factors say.

2 into 126 = 63
3 into 63 = 21
3 into 21 = 7
7 into 7 =1


so 126 = 2x3x3x7

then look at all the possible combinations of these

2,3,7, 2x3 etc

I am sure someone can come up with a better way though!

[Schrodinger56]

Many thanks, for large numbers I assume a computer would be required or a lot of patience :)

[TheChosenOne]

im unsure a computer is needed
If you are patient and go carefully - you only need to divide by one of 2,3,5,7,11 and then a large prime or 1 will remain at the end of the factorisation.