Factores

Factores is the plural of factor in Spanish and Portuguese and is used to refer to elements that contribute to a result or to the multiplicative components of a product. In English, factors carries the same sense, but in Spanish texts the form is factores and the concept is used across disciplines.

In mathematics, a factor of an integer n is any integer that divides n without leaving a remainder. The prime factors of n are the prime numbers that multiply to give n, and every positive integer has a unique prime factorization (up to order). In algebra, factors of a polynomial are polynomials that multiply together to produce the original polynomial, and factorization is a standard method for solving equations.

In statistics and data analysis, factor analysis is a technique for reducing a large set of observed variables into a smaller number of latent factors that capture shared variance. Factor loadings indicate how strongly each observed variable relates to a given factor.

In scientific and everyday usage, factors denotes conditions or elements that influence outcomes. Examples include risk factors in health, environmental factors shaping ecosystems, and economic factors affecting demand. In economics, the term factors of production refers to the inputs required to produce goods and services, commonly categorized as land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship.

The term also appears in proper names or titles in some Spanish- and Portuguese-language contexts, where it may refer to people, organizations, or works. The precise meaning depends on the disciplinary or linguistic context.