Divisor 5839

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

The "Ragusa Test" for Divisibility by 5839

To determine if any number is divisible by 5839, apply the "Ragusa 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 737 and add to R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and add 584 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 5839. That is, your original number is divisible by 5839 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 5839-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 5839. If the Y is still much larger than 5839, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 5839.

Easy!