Factor, in Mathematics.

Factor, in Mathematics. The numbers 6 and 4 multiplied together make 24; hence 6 and 4 are called factors of the product 24. All numbers except prime numbers are products of two or more factors; thus, $10\; =\; 2\; \backslash times\; 5$; $12\; =\; 3\; \backslash times\; 4$, or $2\; \backslash times\; 6$, or $2\; \backslash times\; 2\; \backslash times\; 3$. Every product can be divided by any of its factors without remainder; a factor, therefore, is often called a divisor, or measure. 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12 are all factors or divisors of 24. Numbers that have no factor or divisor above unity, such as 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, . . . 23, &c., are called prime numbers. See NUMBERS (THEORY OF).