Divisor 17851

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

The "Morten Test" for Divisibility by 17851

To determine if any number is divisible by 17851, apply the "Morten Test":

  1. If your number ("X") has 7 digits or more, separate the last (smallest) 6 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 7 digits, L = 0 and therefore R = X.
  2. Multiply L by 344 and add to R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and subtract 1785 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 17851. That is, your original number is divisible by 17851 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 17851-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 17851. If the Y is still much larger than 17851, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 17851.

Easy!