Problem

Source: German TST 2022, exam 2, problem 1

Tags: number-theory, algebra, factorization, combinatorics



Let $a_1, a_2, \ldots, a_n$ be $n$ positive integers, and let $b_1, b_2, \ldots, b_m$ be $m$ positive integers such that $a_1 a_2 \cdots a_n = b_1 b_2 \cdots b_m$. Prove that a rectangular table with $n$ rows and $m$ columns can be filled with positive integer entries in such a way that * the product of the entries in the $i$-th row is $a_i$ (for each $i \in \left\{1,2,\ldots,n\right\}$); * the product of the entries in the $j$-th row is $b_j$ (for each $i \in \left\{1,2,\ldots,m\right\}$).