To break down a number or mathematical expression into its factors; to reduce something into component parts that multiply together.
From 'factor' plus '-ize' (to make, to perform). A formal mathematical verb created in English in the 1800s following the pattern of technical terminology.
To factorize 20, you'd find that 20 = 2×2×5—and knowing those prime factors tells you everything about what divides 20 evenly. It's like learning the atomic structure of a number.
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