# highest-common-factor $\cong$ greatest-common-divisor

For the sake of our British users, I've introduced a tag and I think it should be made a synonym of the tag. Thoughts?

How do I go about making this happen?

• Similar suggestion was made in this comment in a related thread. Jun 16 '15 at 13:57
• Re: How do I go about making this happen? If you have sufficient score in the (greatest-common-divisor) tag, you can suggest a synonym here. If you do not have sufficient score, the best way is to post on meta. If your post gains enough upvotes, then probably some other user with sufficient score or a moderator will suggest a synonum. Jun 16 '15 at 14:03
• In principle, I think it is a good idea to have this; it definitely should be a synonym tough. The sole issue is that the tags around GCD and LCM are a bit of a mess at the moment. But this must be sorted out one way or the other anyway.
– quid Mod
Jun 16 '15 at 14:03
• And I should probably point out that there is a separate thread for tag synonyms and similar stuff. (However, if the synonym is likely to generate more extensive discussion, it is better to post a separate question.) Jun 16 '15 at 14:04
• Both terms are used and are synonymous, so the two tags should be made synonymous. I know it is sometimes done, but I don't know how. Jun 29 '15 at 19:18
• @MichaelHardy Any user who has score at least 5 in the (greatest-common-divisor) tag can suggest a synonym here. Then other users with sufficient score can vote for or against the synonym. But in this case I would expect moderators to do that since +16/-1 seems to me like a clear sign of consensus. (If a moderator suggests a synonym, it is approved immediately, without need of votes from other users.) I have mentioned this in the Mods' Office. Jul 6 '15 at 11:21
• @MartinSleziak : Are you saying 16 people voted against the synonym and one for it? Jul 6 '15 at 19:37
• @MichaelHardy No. I am saying that this question has score 15 (with 16 upvotes and 1 downvote), which I understand as a support for the proposal to create synonym. Jul 6 '15 at 20:02
• @Martin Where can one see the votes? Jul 7 '15 at 17:10
• @BillDubuque click on the score which right now says 15
Jul 7 '15 at 17:10
• @NaN I'm referring to the votes on the synonym ("users with sufficient score can vote for or against the synonym"). Is that supposed to mean that there is some specific SE functionality for voting on synonyms, or does it simply mean that the voting is done ad-hoc via questions like this? Jul 7 '15 at 17:12
• @BillDubuque It's been done by Arthur Fischer
Jul 7 '15 at 17:12
• @BillDubuque he was referring to the question which has score 16/1
Jul 7 '15 at 17:15
• @MartinSleziak To clarify, after a synonym is suggested, what occurs? What are the possible ways that it can get approved or rejected? Jul 7 '15 at 17:20
• @BillDubuque I was referring to the votes on this question when I wrote about 15=16-1.If a more detailed explanation how tag synonyms work is need, let us continue this discussion in a separate question or in chat. Jul 7 '15 at 18:05

I'm a British user, and I don't see the point. "Greatest common divisor" isn't an opaque term, and it is the one which I've encountered and used since, at the latest, partway through secondary school. If you're concerned about tag intelligibility for people who don't follow an American curriculum, the place to start would IMO be .

• I think the algebra-precalculus tag ought to be deprecated. Jul 6 '15 at 19:35

I support the synonym regardless of whether the term "highest common factor" is in widespread use somewhere or not. It is a phrase that (1) clearly cannot mean anything except greatest common divisor, and (2) is sometimes used. We have one question currently bearing that tag, so certainly someone used it. If no one ever uses it, it's still harmless.

On Wikipedia, it is considered good practice when creating a new article to create redirect pages from commonplace alternative names, alternative capitalizations, alternative spellings, probable misspellings (thus "monestary" redirects to "monastery", etc.), commonplace misnomers, etc. The practice is at worst harmless.

is now a synonym of .