Divisor 12781

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

The "Liz Test" for Divisibility by 12781

To determine if any number is divisible by 12781, apply the "Liz Test":

  1. If your number ("X") has 9 digits or more, separate the last (smallest) 8 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 9 digits, L = 0 and therefore R = X.
  2. Multiply L by 1456 and add to R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and subtract 1278 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 12781. That is, your original number is divisible by 12781 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 12781-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 12781. If the Y is still much larger than 12781, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 12781.

Easy!