Divisor 18701

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

The "Rosie Test" for Divisibility by 18701

To determine if any number is divisible by 18701, apply the "Rosie Test":

  1. If your number ("X") has 10 digits or more, separate the last (smallest) 9 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 10 digits, L = 0 and therefore R = X.
  2. Multiply L by 1427 and add to R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and subtract 1870 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 18701. That is, your original number is divisible by 18701 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 18701-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 18701. If the Y is still much larger than 18701, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 18701.

Easy!