Divisor 17509

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

The "Toaster Test" for Divisibility by 17509

To determine if any number is divisible by 17509, apply the "Toaster 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 1987 and add to R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and add 1751 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 17509. That is, your original number is divisible by 17509 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 17509-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 17509. If the Y is still much larger than 17509, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 17509.

Easy!