If gcd(a, b), Then gcd(a + kb, b)

Let \((a,b)=d\) and let \((a+kb,b)=e\).

If \(d\) divides \(a\) and \(b\), then it divides any linear combination of \(a\) and \(b\), including \(a+kb\).

$$ d|a, d|b \implies d|(a+kb) $$

If \(e\) divides \(a+kb\), then:

$$\begin{gather} \frac{a+kb}{e} = \text{some integer} \\ \frac{a}{e} + k\frac{b}{e} = \text{some integer} \end{gather}$$

Since \(e|b\):

$$\begin{gather} \frac{a}{e} + \text{some integer} = \text{some integer} \end{gather}$$

This shows that \(a/e\) is an integer, or that \(e|a\).

We have shown that \((a,b)\) divides \((a+kb,b)\), and that \((a+kb,b)\) divides \((a,b)\). If \((a,b)|(a+kb,b)\) and \((a+kb,b)|(a,b)\), then \((a,b) = (a+kb,b)\).

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