Divisor 7993

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

The "Paul Test" for Divisibility by 7993

To determine if any number is divisible by 7993, apply the "Paul 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 423 and subtract this from R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and add 2398 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 7993. That is, your original number is divisible by 7993 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 7993-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 7993. If the Y is still much larger than 7993, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 7993.

Easy!