How can I prove that $a$ and $b$ are coprime iff they have no common prime divisors?
I had this question on an exam and I have no clue where to start.
How can I prove that $a$ and $b$ are coprime iff they have no common prime divisors?
I had this question on an exam and I have no clue where to start.
First $a,b$ coprime $\implies$ they have no common prime divisor.
Assume they had a common prime divisor. Let the common prime divisor be $p$. Then $\gcd(a,b)=1$ is divisible by $p$. Contradiction.
Second, they have no common prime divisor $\implies$ $a,b$ are coprime.
Assume they aren't coprime. Then they have a common divisor $d \neq 1$. Let a prime factor of $d$ be $p$. $p$ is a common prime factor of $a,b$. Contradiction.