Divisor 3389

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

The "Bob Test" for Divisibility by 3389

To determine if any number is divisible by 3389, apply the "Bob Test":

  1. If your number ("X") has 5 digits or more, separate the last (smallest) 4 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 5 digits, L = 0 and therefore R = X.
  2. Multiply L by 167 and subtract this from R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and add 339 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 3389. That is, your original number is divisible by 3389 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 3389-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 3389. If the Y is still much larger than 3389, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 3389.

Easy!