Divisor 9787

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

The "Willem Test" for Divisibility by 9787

To determine if any number is divisible by 9787, apply the "Willem Test":

  1. If your number ("X") has 5 digits or more, separate the last (smallest) 4 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 5 digits, L = 0 and therefore R = X.
  2. Multiply L by 213 and add to R.
  3. Take that result and cross off its final digit (units). Take this new number and subtract 2936 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 9787. That is, your original number is divisible by 9787 if (and only if) Y is. Now that it's much smaller, with basic knowledge of your 9787-times tables, it should be easy to visually see if Y is divisible by 9787. If the Y is still much larger than 9787, the above process can be repeated until it does reduce to within small multiples of 9787.

Easy!