Highest power of a number that divides other number | Set - 2

Last Updated : 23 Jul, 2025

Given two numbers N and M(M > 1), the task is to find the highest power of M that divides N. 

Examples:

Input: N = 12, M = 2
Output: 2
Explanation: The powers of 2 which divide 12 are 1 and 2 (21 = 2 and 22 = 4 which both divide 12). 
The higher power is 2, hence consider 2.

Input: N = 500, M = 5
Output: 3.

 

Naive and Bit Manipulation Approach:  The naive approach and bit manipulation approach is already mentioned in the Set 1 of this problem.

Efficient Approach: The task can be solved using a binary search technique over the range [1, logB(A)]. For each value x in the range, check if Mx divides N. Finally, return the largest value possible

Follow the below steps to solve the problem:

  • Find the value of logM(N)
  • Run binary search in range [1, logM(N)] .
  • For each value x, check if Mx divides N, and find the largest such value possible.

Below is the implementation of the above approach.

C++
// C++ program to find the Highest
// Power of M that divides N
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;

// Function to find any log(N) base M
int log_a_to_base_b(int a, int b)
{
    return log(a) / log(b);
}

// Function to find the Highest Power
// of M which divides N
int HighestPower(int N, int M)
{
    int start = 0, end = log_a_to_base_b(N, M);
    int ans = 0;
    while (start <= end) {

        int mid = start + (end - start) / 2;
        int temp = (int)(pow(M, mid));

        if (N % temp == 0) {
            ans = mid;
            start = mid + 1;
        }
        else {
            end = mid - 1;
        }
    }
    return ans;
}

// Driver code
int main()
{
    int N = 12;
    int M = 2;
    cout << HighestPower(N, M) << endl;
    return 0;
}
Java
// Java program to find the Highest
// Power of M that divides N
import java.util.*;
public class GFG
{

  // Function to find any log(N) base M
  static int log_a_to_base_b(int a, int b)
  {
    return (int)(Math.log(a) / Math.log(b));
  }

  // Function to find the Highest Power
  // of M which divides N
  static int HighestPower(int N, int M)
  {
    int start = 0, end = log_a_to_base_b(N, M);
    int ans = 0;
    while (start <= end) {

      int mid = start + (end - start) / 2;
      int temp = (int)(Math.pow(M, mid));

      if (N % temp == 0) {
        ans = mid;
        start = mid + 1;
      }
      else {
        end = mid - 1;
      }
    }
    return ans;
  }

  // Driver code
  public static void main(String args[])
  {
    int N = 12;
    int M = 2;
    System.out.println(HighestPower(N, M));
  }
}

// This code is contributed by Samim Hossain Mondal.
Python
# Python program to find the Highest
# Power of M that divides N
import math

# Function to find any log(N) base M
def log_a_to_base_b(a, b):
    
    return math.log(a) / math.log(b)

# Function to find the Highest Power
# of M which divides N
def HighestPower(N, M):
    
    start = 0
    end = log_a_to_base_b(N, M)
    ans = 0
    while (start <= end):

        mid = math.floor(start + (end - start) / 2)
        temp = math.pow(M, mid)

        if (N % temp == 0):
            ans = mid
            start = mid + 1
            
        else:
            end = mid - 1

    return ans

# Driver code
N = 12
M = 2
print(HighestPower(N, M))

# This code is contributed by Samim Hossain Mondal.
C#
// C# program for the above approach
using System;
class GFG
{
  // Function to find any log(N) base M
  static int log_a_to_base_b(int a, int b)
  {
    return (int)(Math.Log(a) / Math.Log(b));
  }

  // Function to find the Highest Power
  // of M which divides N
  static int HighestPower(int N, int M)
  {
    int start = 0, end = log_a_to_base_b(N, M);
    int ans = 0;
    while (start <= end) {

      int mid = start + (end - start) / 2;
      int temp = (int)(Math.Pow(M, mid));

      if (N % temp == 0) {
        ans = mid;
        start = mid + 1;
      }
      else {
        end = mid - 1;
      }
    }
    return ans;
  }

  // Driver code
  public static void Main()
  {

    int N = 12;
    int M = 2;
    
    // Function call
    Console.Write(HighestPower(N, M));
  }
}

// This code is contributed by Samim Hossain Mondal.
JavaScript
<script>
        // JavaScript code for the above approach

        // Function to find any log(N) base M
        function log_a_to_base_b(a, b) {
            return Math.log(a) / Math.log(b);
        }

        // Function to find the Highest Power
        // of M which divides N
        function HighestPower(N, M)
        {
            let start = 0, end = log_a_to_base_b(N, M);
            let ans = 0;
            while (start <= end) {

                let mid = start + Math.floor((end - start) / 2);
                let temp = (Math.pow(M, mid));

                if (N % temp == 0) {
                    ans = mid;
                    start = mid + 1;
                }
                else {
                    end = mid - 1;
                }
            }
            return ans;
        }

        // Driver code
        let N = 12;
        let M = 2;
        document.write(HighestPower(N, M) + '<br>');

  // This code is contributed by Potta Lokesh
    </script>

 
 


Output
2

Time Complexity: O(log(logM(N)))
Auxiliary Space: O(1) 

Comment

Explore