Divisor 1231

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

The "Jannis Weis Test" for Divisibility by 1231

To determine if any number is divisible by 1231, apply the "Jannis Weis 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 152 and add to R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and subtract 123 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 1231. That is, your original number is divisible by 1231 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 1231-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 1231. If the Y is still much larger than 1231, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 1231.

Easy!