Divisor 1559

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

The "Pikgears Test" for Divisibility by 1559

To determine if any number is divisible by 1559, apply the "Pikgears 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 224 and add to R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and add 156 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 1559. That is, your original number is divisible by 1559 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 1559-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 1559. If the Y is still much larger than 1559, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 1559.

Easy!