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30-seconds-of-code/snippets/lcm.md
Rohit Tanwar 81a5dc868c update lint
2018-01-16 18:35:58 +05:30

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### lcm
Returns the least common multiple of two or more numbers.
Use the `greatest common divisor (GCD)` formula and the fact that `lcm(x,y) = x * y / gcd(x,y)` to determine the least common multiple. The GCD formula uses recursion.
Uses `reduce` function from the inbuilt module `functools`. Also defines a method `spread` for javascript like spreading of lists.
```python
from functools import reduce
def spread(arg):
ret = []
for i in arg:
if isinstance(i, list):
ret.extend(i)
else:
ret.append(i)
return ret
def lcm(*args):
numbers = []
numbers.extend(spread(list(args)))
def _gcd(x, y):
return x if not y else gcd(y, x % y)
def _lcm(x, y):
return x * y / _gcd(x, y)
return reduce((lambda x, y: _lcm(x, y)), numbers)
```
``` python
lcm(12, 7) # 84
lcm([1, 3, 4], 5) # 60
```