Magic Squares: History, Construction and Applications: October 2012

See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.
net/publication/303836173
Magic Squares : History, Construction and Applications
Presentation · October 2012

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.2059.4809
CITATIONS READS
0 2,439
1 author:
Bidyut B. Gogoi
Indian Space Research Organization
25 PUBLICATIONS 21 CITATIONS
SEE PROFILE
Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:
Hydrodynamic Instability View project
All content following this page was uploaded by Bidyut B. Gogoi on 07 June 2016.
The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Outline
Introduction
History of Magic Squares
Methods to construct Magic Squares.
Other forms of magic squares.
Applications in day-to-day life
Conclusion and References
Magic Squares : History, Construction and Applications.
Bidyut Bikash Gogoi,

(Roll. 09612313)
RS SEMINAR SERIES
Department of Mathematics
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati.
October 9, 2012
Bidyut Bikash Gogoi, (Roll. 09612313) Magic Squares : History, Construction and Applications.
Outline
Introduction
1 Introduction
2 History of Magic Squares
3 Methods to construct Magic Squares.

De La Loubere’s method.
Pheru’s method.
Pyramid method.
Method for even magic square divisible by 4.
“The Strachey Method”.
4 Other forms of magic squares.
5 Applications in day-to-day life
6 Conclusion and References

Conclusion
References
Outline
Introduction
Introduction
Magic Squares have been the subject of interest among mathematicians for several
centuries because of its magical properties. In the present talk, the history of magic
squares will be discussed in short, i.e. how magic squares have evolved and where
they originally came from should will be discussed. Next we will present and elaborate
some of the methods of constructing magic squares. Apart from that we will also focus
on some other forms of magic squares and some related theorems. Lastly, we will give
some of its applications in our day-to-day life.
Now,
What is a magic square?
An n × n matrix whose entries consists of the integers 1 through n2 is called a magic

square if all row sums, column sums and diagonal sums are equal and they add up to
n(n2 +1)
the number 2
. This number is called the magic constant.
Outline
Introduction
Introduction
Now,

n(n2 +1)
the number 2
Outline
Introduction
Introduction
Now,

n(n2 +1)
the number 2
Outline
Introduction
History - China
The earliest magic square known dates from around 650 B.C. in China. A Chinese
myth says that King Yu found a tortoise with a pattern on its shell while walking along
the Yellow River. There was a huge flood and so the king tried to channel the water out
to sea where then emerged from the water a turtle with a curious figure/pattern on its
shell; circular dots of numbers which were arranged in a three by three grid pattern
such that the sum of the numbers in each row, column and diagonal was the same: 15.
He called this unique pattern (diagram) as Lo-Shu.
Outline
Introduction
History - India
The 3x3 magic square was used as part of rituals in India from vedic times, and
continues to be used to this day. The Ganesh yantra is a 3x3 magic square. A well
known early 4x4 magic square in India can be seen in Khajuraho in the Parshvanath
Jain temple. It dates from the 10th century
7 12 1 14
2 13 8 11
16 3 10 5
9 6 15 4
Figure: The Chautisa Yantra.
This is referred to as the Chautisa Yantra, since each row, column, diagonal, 2x2
sub-square, the corners of each 3x3 and 4x4 square, the two sets of four symmetrical
numbers (1+11+16+6 and 2+12+15+5), and the sum of the middle two entries of the
two outer columns and rows (2+16+11+5 and 12+1+6+15), sums to 34. In this square,
every second diagonal number adds to 17.
Outline
Introduction De La Loubere’s method.
History of Magic Squares Pheru’s method.
Methods to construct Magic Squares. Pyramid method.
Other forms of magic squares. Method for even magic square divisible by 4.
Applications in day-to-day life “The Strachey Method”.
Methods for constructing Magic Squares
In our discussion, we will go through the following five methods of constructing Magic
Squares :
1 De La Loubere or the Siamese method
2 Pheru’s method
3 The pyramid method or the method of diagonals
4 The method for even magic squares divisible by 4 (order 4, 8, 12 etc.)
5 The method for even magic squares not divisible by 4 - “The Strachey Method”.
(Order 6, 10, 14 etc.)

1. De La Loubere was the French ambassador to Siam (now Thailand) at the end of
the seventeenth century. On his return to France he brought with him a method for
constructing magic squares with an odd number of rows and columns, otherwise
known as squares of odd order.
Begin by finding the middle cell in the top row of the magic square, and write the
number 1 in it. Continue writing the numbers 2, 3, 4, and so on, each in the diagonally
adjacent cell north-east of the previously filled one. When you reach the edge of the
square, continue from the opposite edge, as if opposite edges were glued together. If
you encounter a cell that is already filled, move to the cell immediately below the cell
you have just filled, and continue as before. When all the cells are filled, the two main
diagonals and every row and column should add up to the same number, as if by
magic!!
Outline
Squares :
2 Pheru’s method
(Order 6, 10, 14 etc.)

magic!!
Outline
Squares :
2 Pheru’s method
(Order 6, 10, 14 etc.)

magic!!
Outline
Squares :
2 Pheru’s method
(Order 6, 10, 14 etc.)

magic!!
Outline
Squares :
2 Pheru’s method
(Order 6, 10, 14 etc.)

magic!!
Outline
Squares :
2 Pheru’s method
(Order 6, 10, 14 etc.)

magic!!
Outline
Squares :
2 Pheru’s method
(Order 6, 10, 14 etc.)

magic!!
Outline
De La Loubere’s method
Outline
Outline
Outline
4 2
Outline
3 5
4 2
Outline
1 6
3 5
4 2
Outline
1 6
3 5 7
4 2
Outline
8 1 6
3 5 7
4 2
Outline
8 1 6
3 5 7
4 9 2
Outline
Pheru’s method
2. Pheru’s method The first known mathematical use of magic squares in India was
by Thakkura Pheru in his work Ganitasara (ca. 1315 A.D.). Pheru provided a method
for constructing odd magic squares, that is, squares in which n is an odd integer. Start
by placing the number 1 in the bottom cell of the central column (see the figure below).
To obtain the next cell above it, add n + 1, getting n + 2. To obtain the next cell above
n + 2, add n + 1 again, getting 2n + 3. Continuing to add in this way to obtain the cell
values in the central column results in an arithmetic progression with a common
difference of n + 1. Continue adding n + 1 until reaching the central column’s top cell,
which has a value of n2 .
Outline
Pheru’s method (cotinued...)

The remaining cells in the square are obtained by starting from the numbers in the central column. The figure below illustrates Pheru’s
method. Consider making a 9 × 9 magic square, hence n = 9. Pick any number in the central column, for example, 1. Add n to 1, in
this example getting 9 + 1 = 10. Next move as a knight in chess would, beginning at 1 and moving one cell to the left, then two cells up.
In this cell, place the 10. From this cell, repeat the same process. Add 10 + 9 to get 19, complete the knight move, and place 19 in the
resulting cell. Continue this process until arriving at the cell with a value of 37. Adding 9 and completing the knight move places 46 outside
of the original 9 × 9 square. To remedy this situation, pretend that you have 9 × 9 squares on each side and corner of the original 9 × 9
square. Notice that the cell where 46 is located is in the outside square above the original square and off to the left-hand corner. Simply
move 46 to the corresponding cell in the original 9 × 9 square.
Outline
Pheru’s method (cotinued...)
When arriving at a number that exceeds 81, simply subtract 81 from the number. For
example, locate 77 in figure 4. Adding 9 and completing the knight move arrives at a
sum of 86, which is greater than 81 and so outside the original square. The difference
between 86 and 81 is 5. Next place 5 in the corresponding cell in the original square.
Continuing to follow these instructions, which were given by Pheru, produces a 9 × 9
magic square with a magic constant of 369. To summarize, to obtain the rest of the
cells after finding the center column, move one cell to the left and two cells up while
increasing the number by n. When this move causes a number to fall outside the
square, move the number to its corresponding cell inside the square. When the number
exceeds n2 , subtract n2 from the number.
Outline
Pyramid method
3. Pyramid method This method consists of three steps:

1 Draw a pyramid on each side of the magic square. The pyramid should have two
less squares on its base than the number of squares on the side of the magic
square. This creates a square standing on a vertex.
2 Sequentially place the numbers 1 to n2 of the n × n magic square in the diagonals
as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

3 Relocate any number not in the n × n square (that appears in the pyramids you
added) to the opposite hole inside the square (shaded).
Outline
Pyramid method
The same Pyramid method can be used for any odd order magic square as shown
below for the 5 × 5 square :
Outline
The method for even magic square divisible by 4. (order 4, 8, 12 etc.)
A construction of a magic square of order 4. Go left to right through the square

filling counting and filling in on the diagonals only. Then continue by going left to right
from the top left of the table and fill in counting down from 16 to 1, as shown.
Outline
Outline
Outline
The method for even magic squares not divisible by 4 - “The Strachey
Method”. (Order 6, 10, 14 etc.).
Strachey’s method of construction :

k2
1 Divide the grid into 4 quarters each having 4
cells and name them crosswise as
shown in figure 1.
2 Using the Siamese method (De la Loubere method) complete the individual magic
squares of odd order 2n + 1 in subsquares A, B, C, D, first filling up the
2
sub-square A with the numbers 1 to k4 , then the sub-square B with the numbers
k2 2 2 2
4
+ 1 to 2 k4 , then the sub-square C with the numbers 2 k4 + 1 to 3 k4 , then the
2
sub-square D with the numbers 3 k4 + 1 to k 2 .
3 Exchange the leftmost n columns in sub-square A with the corresponding
columns of sub-square D.
4 Exchange the rightmost n − 1 columns in sub-square C with the corresponding
columns of sub-square B.
5 Exchange the middle cell of the leftmost column of sub-square A with the
corresponding cell of sub-square D. Exchange the central cell in sub-square A
with the corresponding cell of sub-square D.
Outline

k2
shown in figure 1.
2
k2 2 2 2
4
2
Outline

k2
shown in figure 1.
2
k2 2 2 2
4
2
Outline

k2
shown in figure 1.
2
k2 2 2 2
4
2
Outline

k2
shown in figure 1.
2
k2 2 2 2
4
2
Outline

k2
shown in figure 1.
2
k2 2 2 2
4
2
Outline
Step 1.
Step 2.
8 1 6 26 19 24
3 5 7 21 23 25
4 9 2 22 27 20
35 28 33 17 10 15
30 32 34 12 14 16
31 36 29
Bidyut Bikash Gogoi, (Roll. 09612313) 13 18: History,
Magic Squares 11Construction and Applications.
Outline
Step 3.
35 1 6 26 19 24
30 5 7 21 23 25
31 9 2 22 27 20
8 28 33 17 10 15
3 32 34 12 14 16
4 36 29 13 18 11
Outline
Step 4.
The step 4 is absent in this case.

Step 5.
35 1 6 26 19 24
3 32 7 21 23 25
31 9 2 22 27 20
8 28 33 17 10 15
30 5 34 12 14 16
4 36 29 13 18 11
Outline
Introduction
1. Pseudo Magic Square Suppose we have a square matrices of nine positive whole
numbers, such that the sum of any row, column or diagonal is some fixed constant k,
e.g.
, where k = 12.
Such a square is known as pseudo magic square since the numbers do not have to be
distinct.
Theorem
For any positive integer k, there exists a pseudo magic square, only if k is a multiple of
3.
Outline
Introduction
Proof.
The general square has the form
.......(1)
and we require that the following eight equations be satisfied
These simultaneous equations can be solved by setting b=r, c=s (r, s > 0 are positive integers) and then we have
Now, since all the numbers a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h and i are positive integers and they satisfy the
above relations, therefore k must be a multiple of 3. Hence the proof.
Outline
Introduction
Theorem
2k2 2k
Given a positive integer k, (a multiple of 3) there exists 9
− 3
+ 1 pseudo magic
squares with sum k.
Proof. From the previous theorem and since all the entries of the general square (1)
are positive integers, we obtain a set of inequations :
Graphically, they can be represented as :
Outline
Introduction
Proof (Continued...)
To prove the theorem, we should count the number of ordered pairs (r, s), with r and s
as positive integers, which lie completely inside the parallelogram ABCD. Such points
are called lattice Bidyut
points.Bikash Gogoi, (Roll. 09612313) Magic Squares : History, Construction and Applications.
Outline
Introduction
Proof (Continued...)
Now, from Pick’s theorem, the area A of a plane figure bounded by straight lines and
with lattice points as vertices is given by
1
A= 2
B + I − 1,
where B is the number of lattice points on the boundary and I is the number of lattice
points inside the figure. Since k is a multiple of 3, we let k = 3j and on AD there are
k
3
+ 1 = j + 1 lattice points and so on BC.
Now the equation of DC is
2k
2s + r = (1)
3
or s + 2r = j, hence r must be even.
So on DC, the number of lattice points is j + 1 since r can take the values
0, 2, 4, . . . , 2j. Similarly on AB.
Notice that we have counted each of the corner points twice, so the total number of
lattice points on the boundary is 4(j + 1) − 4 = 4j. Since the area of ABCD is 2j 2 , we
2k2
have I = A − 21 B + 1 = 2j 2 − 12 (4j) + 1 = 9
− 2k
3
+ 1, which completes the proof.
Outline
Introduction
Other forms of magic squares (Continued...)
2. Bimagic Square A magic square is said to be bimagic if it remains magic after each
of it’s entries is replaced by its square. Example :
If we denote the magic sum as ’S’ and the bimagic sum as ’R’ and if ’N’ denotes the
order of the square (i.e. the number of rows/columns), then we have the following
bimagic translation theorem.
Outline
Introduction
Theorem
Bimagic Translation Theorem : Translating a bimagic square by adding T to every
term produces another bimagic square.
Proof.
Given any two lines in a bimagic square (say N = 5), we have
a + b + ... + e = f + g + ... + j = S
and
a2 + b2 + . . . + e2 = f 2 + g 2 + . . . + j 2 = R.
Adding T to every term produces
(a + T ) + (b + T ) + ... + (e + T ) = S + N T
(f + T ) + (g + T ) + ... + (j + T ) = S + N T
and
(a + T )2 + (b + T )2 + . . . + (e + T )2 = R + 2ST + N T 2
(f + T )2 + (g + T )2 + . . . + (j + T )2 = R + 2ST + N T 2
The sums remain equal and the sums of squares remain equal.
The new magic sum and magic sum of squares depend only on the previous sums (i.e.
S and R) and N ; and are not affected by the individual terms. This completes the
proof.
Outline
Introduction
Applications of magic squares
1. Music The main area of the application of magic squares to music is in rhythm,
rather than notes. Indian musicians seem to have applied them to their music and they
seem to be useful in time cycles and additive rhythm. In this case it is not the usual
magic properties of a square that are important, but the relationship of the central
number to the total sum of all the numbers in the magic square. This is because for
rhythm, consecutive numbers 1 to are not used to fill the cells of the magic square.
This relationship is:
The total sum of the magic squareâs numbers = central number x 9. This is important
to music as it shows the size of the magic square, which is how many pulses or
sub-divisions there are in the sequence, this will indicate how and where to apply it.
Outline
Introduction
Applications of magic squares (contd...)
2. Soduku Sudoku was first introduced in 1979 and became popular in Japan during
the 1980’s (Pegg Weisstein, 2006). It has recently become a very popular puzzle in
Europe, but it is actually a form of Latin square. A Sudoku square is a 9x9 grid, split
into 9 3x3 sub-squares. Each sub-square is filled in with the numbers 1 to n where
n = 9, so that the 9x9 grid becomes a Latin square. This means each row and column
contain the numbers 1 to 9 only once. Therefore each row, column and sub-square will
sum to the same amount.
Outline
Introduction
Conclusion
References
Conclusion
Mathematicians today do not need to speculate and attach meaning to magic squares
to make them important, as has been done in the past with Chinese and other myths.
The squares were thought to be mysterious and magic, although now it is clear that
they are just ways of arranging numbers and symbols using certain rules. They can be
applied to music and Sudoku as has been discussed but are mainly of interest in
mathematics for their “magic” properties rather than their practical applications.
Outline
Introduction
Conclusion
References
References I
1 Adler, A. (1996). What is a magic square? [online]. Available from

http://mathforum.org/alejandre/magic.square/adler/adler.whatsquare.html
2 Anderson, D. L. (2001). Magic Squares [online]. Available from
http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?id=L263
3 Farrar, M. S. (1997). History of magic squares [online]. Available from
http://www.markfarrar.co.uk/msqhst01.htm
4 www.google.co.in
Outline
Introduction
Conclusion
References
Thank You.
View publication stats


Magic Squares: History, Construction and Applications: October 2012

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Originaltitel

Copyright

Verfügbare Formate

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Magic Squares: History, Construction and Applications: October 2012

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

Magic Squares : History, Construction and Applications

Presentation · October 2012

Hydrodynamic Instability View project

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Magic Squares : History, Construction and Applications.

Bidyut Bikash Gogoi,

2 History of Magic Squares

3 Methods to construct Magic Squares.

4 Other forms of magic squares.

5 Applications in day-to-day life

6 Conclusion and References

What is a magic square?

An n × n matrix whose entries consists of the integers 1 through n2 is called a magic

What is a magic square?

An n × n matrix whose entries consists of the integers 1 through n2 is called a magic

What is a magic square?

An n × n matrix whose entries consists of the integers 1 through n2 is called a magic

Figure: The Chautisa Yantra.

Methods for constructing Magic Squares

(Order 6, 10, 14 etc.)

Methods for constructing Magic Squares

(Order 6, 10, 14 etc.)

Methods for constructing Magic Squares

(Order 6, 10, 14 etc.)

Methods for constructing Magic Squares

(Order 6, 10, 14 etc.)

Methods for constructing Magic Squares

(Order 6, 10, 14 etc.)

Methods for constructing Magic Squares

(Order 6, 10, 14 etc.)

Methods for constructing Magic Squares

(Order 6, 10, 14 etc.)

Pheru’s method (cotinued...)

Pheru’s method (cotinued...)

3. Pyramid method This method consists of three steps:

as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

added) to the opposite hole inside the square (shaded).

The method for even magic square divisible by 4. (order 4, 8, 12 etc.)

A construction of a magic square of order 4. Go left to right through the square

Strachey’s method of construction :

Strachey’s method of construction :

Strachey’s method of construction :

Strachey’s method of construction :

Strachey’s method of construction :

Strachey’s method of construction :

The step 4 is absent in this case.

Other forms of magic squares.

The general square has the form

and we require that the following eight equations be satisfied

Graphically, they can be represented as :

Other forms of magic squares (Continued...)

Applications of magic squares

Applications of magic squares (contd...)

1 Adler, A. (1996). What is a magic square? [online]. Available from

View publication stats

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen