The factors of a number are always finite and they are written in a row with comma separation in elementary mathematics. For example, the factors of $18$ are written as $1$, $2$, $3$, $6$, $9$ and $18$.
If factors of a number are few, then it is not a problem to write them every time but it is quite difficult to express them if the factors are more. So, a system of denoting the factors is essential and it is called the representation of factors. It is also called the notation of factors.
There are two ways to denote the factors of a number in mathematics, and let’s start learning both methods here by a simple understandable example.
The word “factors” is denoted by the uppercase alphabet $F$. So, the factors a number is simply written as $F$ subscript that number. For example, the factors of $18$ is simply written as $F_{18}$ in mathematics.
Now, let’s learn how to represent the factors of a number mathematically in both methods.
$F_{18}$ $\,=\,$ $1$, $2$, $3$, $6$, $9$ and $18$
The factors of a number are written in a row but a comma symbol with a single character space between them are given for separating every two factors but the word “and” is written between the last two factors in this elementary level representation.
$F_{18}$ $\,=\,$ $\{1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 18\}$
The factors of a number are also a set. So, the factors of a number can be expressed in roster notation as per set theory. In this method, the factors of a number are written within curly braces (or brackets) by separating with comma and single space between every two factors.
In this way, the factors of a number can be represented mathematically and you can follow any of the above two methods in mathematics.
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