18/06/2015

TestsforDivisibilityby2,3,5,7,11,13,17,19,23,29,31,37,41,43and47.

Divisibilitybyprimenumbersunder50.
StuSavory,2003&2004.
Anumberisdivisibleby2ifitslastdigitisalso(i.e.0,2,4,6or8).
Anumberisdivisibleby3ifthesumofitsdigitsisalso.Example:534:5+3+4=12and1+2=3so534
isdivisibleby3.
Anumberisdivisibleby5ifthelastdigitis5or0.
Mostpeopleknow(only)those3rules.HerearemyrulesfordivisibilitybythePRIMESupto
50.Whyonlyprimesandnotalsocompositenumbers?Anumberisdivisiblebyacompositeifitis
alsodivisiblebyalltheprimefactors(e.g.isdivisibleby21ifdivisibleby3ANDby7).Small
numbersareusedintheseworkedexamples,soyoucouldhaveusedapocketcalculator.Butmyrules
applytoanynumberofdigits,whereasyoucannottesta30ormoredigitnumberonyourpocket
calculatorotherwise.
Testfordivisibilityby7.Doublethelastdigitandsubtractitfromtheremainingleadingtruncated
number.Iftheresultisdivisibleby7,thensowastheoriginalnumber.Applythisruleoverandover
againasnecessary.Example:826.Twice6is12.Sotake12fromthetruncated82.Now8212=70.
Thisisdivisibleby7,so826isdivisibleby7also.
Therearesimilarrulesfortheremainingprimesunder50,i.e.11,13,17,19,23,29,31,37,41,43and47.
Testfordivisibilityby11.Subtractthelastdigitfromtheremainingleadingtruncatednumber.Ifthe
resultisdivisibleby11,thensowasthefirstnumber.Applythisruleoverandoveragainas
necessary.
Example:19151>19151=1914>1914=187>187=11,soyes,19151isdivisibleby11.
Testfordivisibilityby13.Addfourtimesthelastdigittotheremainingleadingtruncatednumber.If
theresultisdivisibleby13,thensowasthefirstnumber.Applythisruleoverandoveragainas
necessary.
Example:50661>5066+4=5070>507+0=507>50+28=78and78is6*13,so50661isdivisibleby
13.
Testfordivisibilityby17.Subtractfivetimesthelastdigitfromtheremainingleadingtruncated
number.Iftheresultisdivisibleby17,thensowasthefirstnumber.Applythisruleoverandover
againasnecessary.
Example:3978>3975*8=357>355*7=0.So3978isdivisibleby17.
Testfordivisibilityby19.Addtwotimesthelastdigittotheremainingleadingtruncatednumber.If
theresultisdivisibleby19,thensowasthefirstnumber.Applythisruleoverandoveragainas
necessary.
EG:101156>10115+2*6=10127>1012+2*7=1026>102+2*6=114and114=6*19,so101156is
divisibleby19.
Myoriginaldivisibiltywebpagestoppedhere.However,Ihavehadanumberofmailsaskingfor
divisibilitytestsforlargerprimes,soI'veextendedthelistupto50.Actuallyevenwith37most
peoplecannotdothenecessarymentalarithmeticeasily,becausetheycannotrecogniseevensingle
digitmultiplesoftwodigitnumbersonsight.Peoplearenolongertaughtthemultiplicationtableup
to20*20asIwasasachild.Nowadaysweareluckyiftheyknowitupto10*10.
http://www.savory.de/maths1.htm

1/3

18/06/2015

TestsforDivisibilityby2,3,5,7,11,13,17,19,23,29,31,37,41,43and47.

Testfordivisibilityby23.3*23=69,endsina9,soADD.Add7timesthelastdigittotheremaining
leadingtruncatednumber.Iftheresultisdivisibleby23,thensowasthefirstnumber.Applythisrule
overandoveragainasnecessary.
Example:17043>1704+7*3=1725>172+7*5=207whichis9*23,so17043isalsodivisibleby23.
Testfordivisibilityby29.Addthreetimesthelastdigittotheremainingleadingtruncatednumber.
Iftheresultisdivisibleby29,thensowasthefirstnumber.Applythisruleoverandoveragainas
necessary.
Example:15689>1568+3*9=1595>159+3*5=174>17+3*4=29,so15689isalsodivisibleby29.
Testfordivisibilityby31.Subtractthreetimesthelastdigitfromtheremainingleadingtruncated
number.Iftheresultisdivisibleby31,thensowasthefirstnumber.Applythisruleoverandover
againasnecessary.
Example:7998>7993*8=775>773*5=62whichistwice31,so7998isalsodivisibleby31.
Testfordivisibilityby37.Thisis(slightly)moredifficult,sinceitperforceusesadoubledigit
multiplier,namelyeleven.Peoplecanusuallydosingledigitmultiplesof11,sowecanusethesame
techniquestill.Subtracteleventimesthelastdigitfromtheremainingleadingtruncatednumber.Ifthe
resultisdivisibleby37,thensowasthefirstnumber.Applythisruleoverandoveragainas
necessary.
Example:23384>233811*4=2294>22911*4=185whichisfivetimes37,so23384isalso
divisibleby37.
Testfordivisibilityby41.Subtractfourtimesthelastdigitfromtheremainingleadingtruncated
number.Iftheresultisdivisibleby41,thensowasthefirstnumber.Applythisruleoverandover
againasnecessary.
Example:30873>30874*3=3075>3074*5=287>284*7=0,remainderiszeroandso30873is
alsodivisibleby41.
Testfordivisibilityby43.Nowitstartstogetreallydifficultformostpeople,becausethemultiplier
tobeusedis13,andmostpeoplecannotrecogniseevensingledigitmultiplesof13atsight.Youmay
wanttomakealittlelistof13*Nfirst.Nevertheless,forthesakeofcompleteness,wewillusethe
samemethod.Addthirteentimesthelastdigittotheremainingleadingtruncatednumber.Iftheresult
isdivisibleby43,thensowasthefirstnumber.Applythisruleoverandoveragainasnecessary.
Example:3182>318+13*2=344>34+13*4=86whichisrecognisablytwice43,andso3182isalso
divisibleby43.
Update:BillMalloyhaspointedoutthat,sinceweareworkingtomodulo43,insteadofaddingfactor
13timesthelastdigit,wecansubtract30timesit,because13+30=43.Whydidn'tIthinkofthat!!!:(
Finally,theTestfordivisibilityby47.Thistooisdifficultformostpeople,becausethemultiplierto
beusedis14,andmostpeoplecannotrecogniseevensingledigitmultiplesof14atsight.Youmay
wanttomakealittlelistof14*Nfirst.Nevertheless,forthesakeofcompleteness,wewillusethe
samemethod.Subtractfourteentimesthelastdigitfromtheremainingleadingtruncatednumber.If
theresultisdivisibleby47,thensowasthefirstnumber.Applythisruleoverandoveragainas
necessary.
Example:34827>348214*7=3384>33814*4=282>2814*2=0,remainderiszeroandso34827
isdivisibleby47.
I'vestoppedhereatthelastprimebelow50,forarbitrarybutpragmaticreasonsasexplainedabove.
Otherblogreaders(sadlyevenpeoplefrom.edudomains,whoshouldbeabletodotheelementary
algebrathemselves)haveaskedwhyIsometimessayADDandforotherprimessaySUBTRACT,
andaskwheretheapparentlyarbitraryfactorscomefrom.Soletusdosomealgebratoshowthe
methodinmymadness.
http://www.savory.de/maths1.htm

2/3

18/06/2015

TestsforDivisibilityby2,3,5,7,11,13,17,19,23,29,31,37,41,43and47.

WehavedisplayedtherecursivedivisibilitytestofnumberNasfM*rwherefarethefrontdigitsof
N,risthereardigitofNandMissomemultiplier.AndwewanttoseeifNisdivisiblebysome
primeP.WeneedamethodtoworkoutthevaluesofM.Whatyoudoistocalculate(mentally)the
smallestmultipleofPwhichendsina9ora1.Ifit'sa9wearegoingtoADD,Thenwewillusethe
leadingdigit(s)ofthemultiple+1asourmultiplierM.Ifit'sa1wearegoingtoSUBTRACTlater.
thenwewillusetheleadingdigit(s)ofthemultipleasourmultiplierM.
ExampleforP=17:threetimes17is51whichisthesmallestmultipleof17thatendsina1or9.
Sinceit'sa1wearegoingtoSUBTRACTlater.Theleadingdigitisa5,sowearegoingto
SUBTRACTfivetimestheremainderr.Thealgorithmwasstatedabove.Nowlet'sdothealgebraic
proof.WritingN=10f+r,wecanmultiplyby5(asshownintheexamplefor17),getting5N=50f5r.
Nowweadd51ftobothsides(because51wasthesmallestmultipleofP=17toendina1ora9),
givingonef(whichwewant),so51f5N=f5r.NowifNisdivisiblebyP(hereP=17),wecan
substitutetoget51f5*17*x=f5randrearrangetheleftsideas17*(3f5x)=f5randthereforef5risa
multipleofP=17also.Q.E.D.
Nowgovisitmyblogplease,orlookatotherinterestingmathsstuff:)
Index/Home

http://www.savory.de/maths1.htm

Impressum

Sitemap

Search

3/3