Number of Factors vs Number of Distinct Factors

[MaandaR139]

I came across something I have found confusing regarding counting the number of factors.

I seen a question asking for the 'number of factors' of a square. One of the answers gives the factors for 36 as (1, 36) (2, 18) (3,12) (4, 9) (6, 6). It then counts them as 9.

My question is when counting factors should I ignore duplicates? Is there ever a situation where I should include the duplicated factors?

Thank you in advance.

Regards
Maanda

[RonPurewal]

this will not be an issue, because GMAC will take pains to ensure that problem statements are completely unambiguous.

• for cases in which you should NOT count duplicates (= the vast majority of cases), GMAC will include the word DIFFERENT in front of "factors".
(there's also "distinct", which means exactly the same thing, but i don't think i've seen that word in a GMAC problem.)

• if you do, in fact, encounter a case in which you should count duplicate factors, the problem statement will make this point perfectly, exactingly clear, and will probably even provide an example just to drive the point home.

[RonPurewal]

• if you do, in fact, encounter a case in which you should count duplicate factors, the problem statement will make this point perfectly, exactingly clear, and will probably even provide an example just to drive the point home.

here's an example of this ^^ :

https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/foru ... -t630.html

notice that, on top of the definition/problem statement, there's an example-- an example that, non-coincidentally, answers exactly the question you have in mind here.