Divisor 2017

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

The "Phaze Test" for Divisibility by 2017

To determine if any number is divisible by 2017, apply the "Phaze Test":

  1. If your number ("X") has 5 digits or more, separate the last (smallest) 4 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 5 digits, L = 0 and therefore R = X.
  2. Multiply L by 85 and subtract this from R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and subtract 605 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 2017. That is, your original number is divisible by 2017 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 2017-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 2017. If the Y is still much larger than 2017, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 2017.

Easy!