Divisor 23201

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

The "Cake Test" for Divisibility by 23201

To determine if any number is divisible by 23201, apply the "Cake 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 369 and add to R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and subtract 2320 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 23201. That is, your original number is divisible by 23201 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 23201-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 23201. If the Y is still much larger than 23201, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 23201.

Easy!