Divisor 16993

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

The "Matthew Test" for Divisibility by 16993

To determine if any number is divisible by 16993, apply the "Matthew 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 1958 and subtract this from R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and add 5098 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 16993. That is, your original number is divisible by 16993 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 16993-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 16993. If the Y is still much larger than 16993, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 16993.

Easy!