WorkedMathGlossary

Glossary

What Is LCM (Least Common Multiple)?

LCM stands for least common multiple. It's the smallest positive number that every number in a set divides into evenly. It shows up constantly when adding or subtracting fractions with different denominators, since you need a shared denominator to work with.

Example

The LCM of 4 and 6 is 12, since 12 is the smallest number both 4 and 6 divide into evenly.

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