Divisor 12043

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

The "James Bastone Test" for Divisibility by 12043

To determine if any number is divisible by 12043, apply the "James Bastone Test":

  1. If your number ("X") has 7 digits or more, separate the last (smallest) 6 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 7 digits, L = 0 and therefore R = X.
  2. Multiply L by 431 and add to R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and add 3613 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 12043. That is, your original number is divisible by 12043 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 12043-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 12043. If the Y is still much larger than 12043, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 12043.

Easy!