Divisor 23203

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

The "Matt Test" for Divisibility by 23203

To determine if any number is divisible by 23203, apply the "Matt 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 493 and subtract this from R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and add 6961 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 23203. That is, your original number is divisible by 23203 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 23203-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 23203. If the Y is still much larger than 23203, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 23203.

Easy!