Divisor 1861

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

The "Jon Kuster Test" for Divisibility by 1861

To determine if any number is divisible by 1861, apply the "Jon Kuster Test":

  1. If your number ("X") has 6 digits or more, separate the last (smallest) 5 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 6 digits, L = 0 and therefore R = X.
  2. Multiply L by 494 and subtract this from R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and subtract 186 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 1861. That is, your original number is divisible by 1861 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 1861-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 1861. If the Y is still much larger than 1861, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 1861.

Easy!