N-th multiple in sorted list of multiples of two numbers - GeeksforGeeks

10 May, 2022
Given three positive integers a, b and n. Consider a list that has all multiples of ‘a’ and ‘b’. the list is  sorted and duplicates are removed. The task is to find n-th element of the list.Examples :  
Input :  a = 3, b = 5, n = 5
Output : 10
a = 3 b = 5, Multiple of 3 are 3, 6, 9, 12, 15,... and 
multiples of 5 are 5, 10, 15, 20,.... 
After deleting duplicate element and sorting:
3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20,.... 
The 5th element in the sequence is 10.

Input : n = 6, a = 2, b = 3 
Output : 9
 
Method 1: (Brute Force) Generate the first ‘n’ multiple of ‘a’. Now, generate first ‘n’ multiple of b such that it do not belong to the first n multiple of ‘a’. This can be done using Binary Search.  
C++
Java
Python3
C#
Javascript
PHP
// C++ program to find n-th number in the sorted// list of multiples of two numbers.#include<bits/stdc++.h>using namespace std; // Return the n-th number in the sorted// list of multiples of two numbers.int nthElement(int a, int b, int n){    vector<int> seq;     // Generating first n multiple of a.    for (int i = 1; i <= n; i++)        seq.push_back(a*i);     // Sorting the sequence.    sort(seq.begin(), seq.end());     // Generating and storing first n multiple of b    // and storing if not present in the sequence.    for (int i = 1, k = n; i <= n && k; i++)    {        // If not present in the sequence        if (!binary_search(seq.begin(), seq.end(), b*i))        {            // Storing in the sequence.            seq.push_back(b*i);             sort(seq.begin(), seq.end());            k--;        }    }     return seq[n - 1];} // Driven Programint main(){    int a = 3, b = 5, n = 5;    cout << nthElement(a, b, n) << endl;    return 0;}
// Java program to find n-th number// in the sorted list of multiples// of two numbers.import java.io.*;import java.util.*;class GFG{// Return the n-th number in the sorted// list of multiples of two numbers.static int nthElement(int a, int b, int n){    ArrayList<Integer> seq = new              ArrayList<Integer>(n * n + 1);         // Generating first n multiple of a.    for (int i = 1; i <= n; i++)        seq.add(a * i);             // Sorting the sequence.    Collections.sort(seq);         // Generating and storing first n    // multiple of b and storing if    // not present in the sequence.    for (int i = 1, k = n;             i <= n && k > 0; i++)    {        // If not present in the sequence        if (seq.indexOf(b * i) == -1)        {            // Storing in the sequence.            seq.add(b * i);            Collections.sort(seq);            k--;        }    }    return seq.get(n - 1);} // Driver Codepublic static void main(String[] args){    int a = 3, b = 5, n = 5;    System.out.println(nthElement(a, b, n));}} // This code is contributed by mits
# Python3 program to find n-th# number in the sorted list of# multiples of two numbers. # Return the n-th number in the# sorted list of multiples of# two numbers.def nthElement(a, b, n):    seq = [];     # Generating first n    # multiple of a.    for i in range(1, n + 1):        seq.append(a * i);     # Sorting the sequence.    seq.sort();     # Generating and storing first    # n multiple of b and storing    # if not present in the sequence.    i = 1;    k = n;    while(i <= n and k > 0):                 # If not present in the sequence        try:            z = seq.index(b * i);        except ValueError:                         # Storing in the sequence.            seq.append(b * i);            seq.sort();            k -= 1;        i += 1;     return seq[n - 1]; # Driver Codea = 3;b = 5;n = 5;print(nthElement(a, b, n)); # This code is contributed by mits
// C# program to find n-th number// in the sorted list of multiples// of two numbers.using System;using System.Collections; class GFG{// Return the n-th number in the sorted// list of multiples of two numbers.static int nthElement(int a,                      int b, int n){    ArrayList seq = new ArrayList();         // Generating first n multiple of a.    for (int i = 1; i <= n; i++)        seq.Add(a * i);     // Sorting the sequence.    seq.Sort();     // Generating and storing first n    // multiple of b and storing if    // not present in the sequence.    for (int i = 1, k = n;             i <= n && k > 0; i++)    {        // If not present in the sequence        if (!seq.Contains(b * i))        {            // Storing in the sequence.            seq.Add(b * i);            seq.Sort();            k--;        }    }     return (int)seq[n - 1];} // Driver Codestatic void Main(){    int a = 3, b = 5, n = 5;    Console.WriteLine(nthElement(a, b, n));}} // This code is contributed by mits
<script>    // Javascript program to find n-th number    // in the sorted list of multiples    // of two numbers.         // Return the n-th number in the sorted    // list of multiples of two numbers.    function nthElement(a, b, n)    {        let seq = [];         // Generating first n multiple of a.        for (let i = 1; i <= n; i++)            seq.push(a * i);         // Sorting the sequence.        seq.sort(function(a, b){return a - b});         // Generating and storing first n        // multiple of b and storing if        // not present in the sequence.        for (let i = 1, k = n;                 i <= n && k > 0; i++)        {            // If not present in the sequence            if (!seq.includes(b * i))            {                // Storing in the sequence.                seq.push(b * i);                seq.sort(function(a, b){return a - b});                k--;            }        }         return seq[n - 1];    }         let a = 3, b = 5, n = 5;    document.write(nthElement(a, b, n)); // This code is contributed by decode2207.</script>
<?php// PHP program to find n-th number// in the sorted list of multiples// of two numbers. // Return the n-th number in the sorted// list of multiples of two numbers.function nthElement($a, $b, $n){    $seq = array();     // Generating first n multiple of a.    for ($i = 1; $i <= $n; $i++)        array_push($seq, $a * $i);     // Sorting the sequence.    sort($seq);     // Generating and storing first    // n multiple of b and storing    // if not present in the sequence.    for ($i = 1, $k = $n;         $i <= $n && $k > 0; $i++)    {        // If not present in the sequence        if (array_search($b * $i, $seq) == 0)        {            // Storing in the sequence.            array_push($seq, $b * $i);              sort($seq);            $k--;        }    }     return $seq[$n - 1];} // Driver Code$a = 3;$b = 5;$n = 5;echo nthElement($a, $b, $n); // This code is contributed by mits?>
Output:  
10
Method 2: (Efficient Approach) The idea is to use the fact that common multiple of a and b are removed using LCM(a, b). Let f(a, b, x) be a function which calculates the count of number that are less than x and multiples of a and b. Now, using the inclusion-exclusion principle we can say,  
f(a, b, x) :  Count of number that are less than x
              and multiples of a and b

f(a, b, x) = (x/a) + (x/b) - (x/lcm(a, b))
where (x/a) define number of multiples of a
(x/b) define number of multiple of b
(x/lcm(a, b)) define the number of common multiples 
of a and b.
Observe, a and b are constant. As x increases, f(a, b, x) will also increase. Therefore we can apply Binary Search to find the minimum value of x such that f(a, b, x) >= n. The lower bound of the function is the required answer.The upper bound for n-th term would be min(a, b)*n. Note that we get the largest value n-th term when there are no common elements in multiples of a and b.Below are the implementations of above approach:  
C++
Java
Python 3
C#
PHP
Javascript
// C++ program to find n-th number in the// sorted list of multiples of two numbers.#include<bits/stdc++.h>using namespace std; // Return the Nth number in the sorted// list of multiples of two numbers.int nthElement(int a, int b, int n){    // Finding LCM of a and b.    int lcm = (a * b)/__gcd(a,b);     // Binary Search.    int l = 1, r = min(a, b)*n;    while (l <= r)    {        // Finding the middle element.        int mid = (l + r)>>1;         // count of number that are less than        // mid and multiples of a and b        int val = mid/a + mid/b - mid/lcm;         if (val == n)            return max((mid/a)*a, (mid/b)*b);         if (val < n)            l = mid + 1;        else            r = mid - 1;    }} // Driven Programint main(){    int a = 5, b = 3, n = 5;    cout << nthElement(a, b, n) << endl;    return 0;}
// Java program to find n-th number in the// sorted list of multiples of two numbers.import java.io.*; public class GFG{     // Recursive function to return// gcd of a and bstatic int __gcd(int a, int b){    // Everything divides 0    if (a == 0 || b == 0)    return 0;     // base case    if (a == b)        return a;         // a is greater    if (a > b)        return __gcd(a - b, b);        return __gcd(a, b - a);} // Return the Nth number in the sorted// list of multiples of two numbers.static int nthElement(int a, int b, int n){    // Finding LCM of a and b.    int lcm = (a * b) / __gcd(a, b);     // Binary Search.    int l = 1, r = Math.min(a, b) * n;    while (l <= r)    {        // Finding the middle element.        int mid = (l + r) >> 1;         // count of number that are less than        // mid and multiples of a and b        int val = mid / a + mid / b -                  mid / lcm;         if (val == n)            return Math.max((mid / a) * a,                            (mid / b) * b);         if (val < n)            l = mid + 1;        else            r = mid - 1;    }    return 0;} // Driver Codestatic public void main (String[] args){    int a = 5, b = 3, n = 5;    System.out.println(nthElement(a, b, n));}} // This code is contributed by vt_m.
# Python 3 program to find n-th number# in the sorted list of multiples of# two numbers.import math # Return the Nth number in the sorted# list of multiples of two numbers.def nthElement(a, b, n):     # Finding LCM of a and b.    lcm = (a * b) / int(math.gcd(a, b))     # Binary Search.    l = 1    r = min(a, b) * n    while (l <= r):             # Finding the middle element.        mid = (l + r) >> 1         # count of number that are less        # than mid and multiples of a        # and b        val = (int(mid / a) + int(mid / b)                         - int(mid / lcm))         if (val == n):            return int( max(int(mid / a) * a,                          int(mid / b) * b) )         if (val < n):            l = mid + 1        else:            r = mid - 1     # Driven Programa = 5b = 3n = 5print(nthElement(a, b, n)) # This code is contributed by Smitha.
// C# program to find n-th number in the// sorted list of multiples of two numbers.using System; public class GFG{     // Recursive function to return// gcd of a and bstatic int __gcd(int a, int b){    // Everything divides 0    if (a == 0 || b == 0)    return 0;     // base case    if (a == b)        return a;         // a is greater    if (a > b)        return __gcd(a - b, b);        return __gcd(a, b - a);} // Return the Nth number in the sorted// list of multiples of two numbers.static int nthElement(int a, int b, int n){    // Finding LCM of a and b.    int lcm = (a * b) / __gcd(a, b);     // Binary Search.    int l = 1, r = Math.Min(a, b) * n;    while (l <= r)    {        // Finding the middle element.        int mid = (l + r) >> 1;         // count of number that are less than        // mid and multiples of a and b        int val = mid / a + mid / b -                  mid / lcm;         if (val == n)            return Math.Max((mid / a) * a,                            (mid / b) * b);         if (val < n)            l = mid + 1;        else            r = mid - 1;    }    return 0;} // Driver Code    static public void Main (String []args)    {        int a = 5, b = 3, n = 5;            Console.WriteLine(nthElement(a, b, n));    }} // This code is contributed by vt_m.
<?php// PHP program to find n-th number// in a sorted list of multiples// of two numbers. // function to calculate gcdfunction gcd($a, $b){    return ($a % $b) ?        gcd($b, $a % $b) : $b;} // Return the Nth number in the sorted// list of multiples of two numbers.function nthElement($a, $b, $n){    // Finding LCM of a and b.    $lcm = (int)(($a * $b) / gcd($a, $b));     // Binary Search.    $l = 1;    $r = min($a, $b) * $n;    while ($l <= $r)    {        // Finding the middle element.        $mid = ($l + $r) >> 1;         // count of number that are        // less than mid and multiples        // of a and b        $val = (int)($mid / $a) +               (int)($mid / $b) -               (int)($mid / $lcm);         if ($val == $n)            return max((int)(($mid / $a)) * $a,                       (int)(($mid / $b)) * $b);         if ($val < $n)            $l = $mid + 1;        else            $r = $mid - 1;    }} // Driver code$a = 5;$b = 3;$n = 5;echo nthElement($a, $b, $n); // This code is contributed by mits?>
<script> // Javascript program to find n-th number in the// sorted list of multiples of two numbers.     // Recursive function to return// gcd of a and bfunction __gcd(a , b){    // Everything divides 0    if (a == 0 || b == 0)    return 0;     // base case    if (a == b)        return a;         // a is greater    if (a > b)        return __gcd(a - b, b);        return __gcd(a, b - a);} // Return the Nth number in the sorted// list of multiples of two numbers.function nthElement(a , b , n){    // Finding LCM of a and b.    var lcm = parseInt((a * b) / __gcd(a, b));     // Binary Search.    var l = 1, r = Math.min(a, b) * n;    while (l <= r)    {        // Finding the middle element.        var mid = (l + r) >> 1;         // count of number that are less than        // mid and multiples of a and b        var val = parseInt(mid / a) + parseInt(mid / b) -                  parseInt(mid / lcm);         if (val == n)            return Math.max(parseInt(mid / a) * a,                            parseInt(mid / b) * b);         if (val < n)            l = mid + 1;        else            r = mid - 1;    }    return 0;} // Driver Codevar a = 5, b = 3, n = 5;document.write(nthElement(a, b, n));  // This code contributed by shikhasingrajput </script>
Output:  
10
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