Divisor 2963

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

The "Randy Thomson Test" for Divisibility by 2963

To determine if any number is divisible by 2963, apply the "Randy Thomson Test":

  1. If your number ("X") has 8 digits or more, separate the last (smallest) 7 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 8 digits, L = 0 and therefore R = X.
  2. Multiply L by 125 and subtract this from R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and add 889 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 2963. That is, your original number is divisible by 2963 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 2963-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 2963. If the Y is still much larger than 2963, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 2963.

Easy!