undefined | Better HN

0 pointsflukus9y ago0 comments

Can you show an example of "lowest common denominator" being misused? I've never noticed it so fear I may be guilty of misusing it.

0 comments

tylan19y ago

The correct version is greatest common denominator. The lowest common denominator is usually 1.

level39y ago

Maybe you're thinking of divisor instead of denominator?

foota9y ago

They're pretty much the same thing, some fractions are expressed as numerator/denominator

level39y ago

Divisor in the sense of greatest common divisor is not the same as a denominator. More to the point, we may indeed care about greatest common divisors, but we also care about least common denominators (i.e. least common multiples)

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

tylan19y ago

The correct version is greatest common denominator. The lowest common denominator is usually 1.

level39y ago

Maybe you're thinking of divisor instead of denominator?

foota9y ago

They're pretty much the same thing, some fractions are expressed as numerator/denominator

level39y ago

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse