Divisor 1553

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

The "Niklas Test" for Divisibility by 1553

To determine if any number is divisible by 1553, apply the "Niklas Test":

  1. If your number ("X") has 10 digits or more, separate the last (smallest) 9 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 10 digits, L = 0 and therefore R = X.
  2. Multiply L by 5 and add to R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and add 466 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 1553. That is, your original number is divisible by 1553 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 1553-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 1553. If the Y is still much larger than 1553, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 1553.

Easy!