Divisor 19841

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

The "Ivy McLeod Test" for Divisibility by 19841

To determine if any number is divisible by 19841, apply the "Ivy McLeod 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 136 and add to R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and subtract 1984 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 19841. That is, your original number is divisible by 19841 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 19841-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 19841. If the Y is still much larger than 19841, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 19841.

Easy!