Divisor 8629

Prime Number:
Yes!
Divisibility test:
The "Abu Test"
Test Discovered by:
Matt Parker
Date:
11/11/2024

The "Abu Test" for Divisibility by 8629

To determine if any number is divisible by 8629, apply the "Abu Test":

  1. If your number ("X") has 7 digits or more, separate the last (smallest) 6 digits from the rest. This makes two smaller numbers, call them Left and Right (note: don't add in trailing zeros to L). If there are fewer than 7 digits, L = 0 and therefore R = X.
  2. Multiply L by 964 and subtract this from R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and add 863 times the digit you just crossed off. Call this final result "Y".
  4. Y will be much smaller than X, but we have preserved divisibility by 8629. That is, your original number is divisible by 8629 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 8629-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 8629. If the Y is still much larger than 8629, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 8629.

Easy!