Divisor 20707

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

The "Brian Test" for Divisibility by 20707

To determine if any number is divisible by 20707, apply the "Brian 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 1481 and subtract this from R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and subtract 6212 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 20707. That is, your original number is divisible by 20707 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 20707-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 20707. If the Y is still much larger than 20707, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 20707.

Easy!