What does the representation of 'ab' signify in finding the least common multiple of two integers?

The representation of 'ab' in the context of finding the least common multiple (LCM) of two integers signifies the product of those integers. The least common multiple is the smallest positive integer that is a multiple of two or more integers.

To find the LCM of two integers, one useful relationship combines the LCM and the greatest common divisor (GCD) of the numbers:

[ \text{LCM}(a, b) \times \text{GCD}(a, b) = a \times b. ]

From this equation, it is clear that the product ( ab ) is involved in determining the LCM, showcasing that the LCM measures the multiplicative aspect of the two integers rather than their sum, difference, or quotient. This relationship underlines why the product is central to understanding how LCMs are computed.