In arithmetic and number theory , the least common multiple ( also called the lowest common multiple or smallest common multiple ) of two integers `` a '' and `` b '' , usually denoted by LCM ( `` a '' , `` b '' ) , is the smallest positive integer that is divisible by both `` a '' and `` b '' .
The least common multiple of two integers is the smallest positive integer between all the multiples of both . It is usually denoted by LCM ( `` a '' , `` b '' ) .