Divisor 12611

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

The "Alex Test" for Divisibility by 12611

To determine if any number is divisible by 12611, apply the "Alex Test":

  1. If your number ("X") has 8 digits or more, separate the last (smallest) 7 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 8 digits, L = 0 and therefore R = X.
  2. Multiply L by 523 and subtract this from R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and subtract 1261 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 12611. That is, your original number is divisible by 12611 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 12611-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 12611. If the Y is still much larger than 12611, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 12611.

Easy!