elementary number theory - GCD Proof with Multiplication: gcd(ax,bx) = x$cdot$gcd(a,b)

I was curious as to another method of proof for this:

Given $a$, $b$, and $x$ are all natural numbers,

$\gcd(ax,bx) = x \cdot \gcd(a,b)$

I'm confident I've found the method using a generic common divisor and the theorem that says an integer $C$ is a common divisor of integers $A$ and $B$ iff $C|\gcd(A,B)$.

What other ways can this be proven? Is prime factorization a possibility? Or another method?

Answer

Below are $3$ proofs of the gcd distributive law $\rm\:(ax,bx) = (a,b)x\:$ using Bezout's identity, universal gcd laws, and unique factorization.

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First we show that the gcd distributive law follows immediately from the fact that, by Bezout, the gcd may be specified by linear equations. Distributivity follows because such linear equations are preserved by scalings. Namely, for naturals $\rm\:a,b,c,x \ne 0$

$\rm\qquad\qquad \phantom{ \iff }\ \ \ \:\! c = (a,b) $

$\rm\qquad\qquad \iff\ \: c\:\ |\ \:a,\:b\ \ \ \ \ \ \&\ \ \ \ c\ =\ na\: +\: kb,\ \ \ $ some $\rm\:n,k\in \mathbb Z$

$\rm\qquad\qquad \iff\ cx\ |\ ax,bx\ \ \ \&\ \ \ cx = nax + kbx,\,\ \ $ some $\rm\:n,k\in \mathbb Z$

$\rm\qquad\qquad { \iff }\ \ cx = (ax,bx) $

The reader familiar with ideals will note that these equivalences are captured more concisely in the distributive law for ideal multiplication $\rm\:(a,b)(x) = (ax,bx),\:$ when interpreted in a PID or Bezout domain, where the ideal $\rm\:(a,b) = (c)\iff c = gcd(a,b)$

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Alternatively, more generally, in any integral domain $\rm\:D\:$ we have

Theorem $\rm\ \ (a,b)\ =\ (ax,bx)/x\ \ $ if $\rm\ (ax,bx)\ $ exists in $\rm\:D.$

Proof $\rm\quad\: c\ |\ a,b \iff cx\ |\ ax,bx \iff cx\ |\ (ax,bx) \iff c\ |\ (ax,bx)/x\ \ \ $ QED

The above proof uses the universal definitions of GCD, LCM, which often served to simplify proofs, e.g. see this proof of the GCD * LCM law.

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Alternatively, comparing powers of primes in unique factorizations, it reduces to the following
$$\begin{eqnarray} \min(a+x,\,b+x) &\,=\,& \min(a,b) + x\\

\rm expt\ analog\ of\ \ \ \gcd(a \,* x,\,b \,* x)&=&\rm \gcd(a,b)\,*x\end{eqnarray}\qquad\qquad\ \ $$

The proof is precisely the same as the prior proof, replacing gcd by min, and divides by $\,\le,\,$ and

$$\begin{eqnarray} {\rm employing}\quad\ c\le a,b&\iff& c\le \min(a,b)\\
\rm the\ analog\ of\quad\ c\ \, |\, \ a,b&\iff&\rm c\ \,|\,\ \gcd(a,b) \end{eqnarray}$$

$\ c \le a,b \!\iff\! c\!+\!x \le a\!+\!x,b\!+\!x\!\iff\! c\!+\!x \le \lfloor a\!+\!x,b\!+\!x\rfloor\!\iff\! c \le \lfloor a\!+\!x,b\!+\!x\rfloor \!-\!x$

where $\,\lfloor y,z\rfloor := \min(y,z).$