Divisor 17837

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

The "Thijs Test" for Divisibility by 17837

To determine if any number is divisible by 17837, apply the "Thijs Test":

  1. If your number ("X") has 7 digits or more, separate the last (smallest) 6 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 7 digits, L = 0 and therefore R = X.
  2. Multiply L by 1128 and add to R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and subtract 5351 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 17837. That is, your original number is divisible by 17837 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 17837-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 17837. If the Y is still much larger than 17837, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 17837.

Easy!