Divisibility rule Created 2026-10-20 Updated 2026-11-05
A divisibility rule tests whether one integer divides another by replacing it with a simpler equivalent condition. For a base- expansion , the congruence class of modulo the candidate divisor determines a rule.
In base ten, , so and its digit sum have the same residue modulo nine. Also , so divisibility by eleven is equivalent to divisibility of the alternating digit sum. For example, passes because . These tests follow from modular arithmetic and depend on the numerical base.