Transum,

Monday, December 2, 2013

"As an extension activity consider the following questions:How many magic squares are there that contain the numbers 5, 8 and 12? (ignore rotations and reflections).Is the centre number of a magic square always one third of the row and column totals?Can you create a magic square using only prime numbers?"

Transum,

Friday, June 2, 2017

"In the year 1514 the German artist Albrecht D眉rer created an engraving called Melencolia with a magic square in the background. The image below shows an enlargement of the magic square. The date appears in the bottom row of the magic square.

"

Ian Stewart, Cabinet Of Mathematical Curiosities

Friday, June 2, 2017

"Using consecutive whole numbers and counting rotations and reflections of a given square as being the same there are precisely:

1 magic square of size 3 脳 3880 magic squares of size 4脳 4275,305,224 5脳5 magic squares of size 5 脳 5.

For the 6脳6 case, there are estimated to be approximately 1.77 脳 1019 squares."

Transum,

Saturday, February 17, 2018

"One method of finding a solution to a puzzle in which the digits one to nine have to be arranged in a particular formation is by trying every different permutation. This strategy however is very time consuming. Even if it only took one second to arrange the numbers and check whether a solution has been found, you would need to allow over one hundred hours to complete the task!

Developing a strategy with some insight or consideration of the number patterns might be a better course of action. Good Luck!"

Student,

Tuesday, April 2, 2019

"There is a pattern that isn't time consuming. Place the 1st number in the center of the top row(can be done on the sides but easier if explained like this)(can only be done on oddxodd magic squares) and place next number on the box diagonally upwards to the right(could be left as well). If there is no box on top, place the number at the bottom of the next column. If there is no box to the right, then place it at the start of the next row. If the space is blocked by a number, then place it underneath the number you just wrote. When you reach the upper-right corner, place the next number directly below it and continue on. Repeat until all boxes are filled"

Bernie Westacott, Twitter

Friday, April 30, 2021

Y2 enrichment session. Make a 1-9 magic square using the pyramid method, then using shifts to solve harder puzzles. @Transum puzzles. pic.twitter.com/gxQgOtvezQ

Juan, Espa帽a

Thursday, March 9, 2023

"Con estos n煤meros 7,37,43,67,73,79,103,109,139, se puede formar un cuadrado m谩gico de 3x3 como indica sus ejemplos?

[Translation: With these numbers 7,37,43,67,73,79,103,109,139, can a 3x3 magic square be formed as indicated by your examples?]"