Suppose you have a number N and you want to find its largest prime factor. It is probably easiest to start at the bottom.
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Use a factor tree. Figure out the prime factorization. Choose the largest number.
Find them all. Pick the largest one. 2 x 2 x 5 x 5 = 100 The largest prime factor of 100 is 5.
3 could be a prime factor but it depends on which number you're trying to find the prime factors of.
It has been proven that there is no largest prime number. You can find a list of the largest KNOWN prime numbers here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largest_known_prime_number
73 is a prime number. A prime number has only two factors, one and the number itself.
If completed correctly, the bottom branch of a factor tree will be the prime factorization of the number at the top.