Math Is Fun Forum
You are not logged in.
- Topics: Active | Unanswered
#1 2005-06-02 19:55:58
- MathsIsFun
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-01-21
- Posts: 7,713
Magic Squares
What is special about the numbers in this woodcut (made by Albrect Durer in 1514):
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
Offline
#2 2005-06-02 20:16:01
- justlookingforthemoment
- Moderator
- Registered: 2005-05-26
- Posts: 2,161
Re: Magic Squares
Let me guess: they're the numbers from 1-16; [answer removed and Yes - You Are Right. MathsIsFun]!
Last edited by MathsIsFun (2005-06-02 20:28:39)
Offline
#3 2005-06-16 05:59:26
- Roraborealis
- Member
- Registered: 2005-03-17
- Posts: 1,594
Re: Magic Squares
NO! I can't see some numbers!
School is practice for the future. Practice makes perfect. But - nobody's perfect, so why practice?
Offline
#4 2005-06-16 09:49:46
- MathsIsFun
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-01-21
- Posts: 7,713
Re: Magic Squares
Top right, below the bell.
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
Offline
#5 2005-06-16 18:44:47
- Roraborealis
- Member
- Registered: 2005-03-17
- Posts: 1,594
Re: Magic Squares
Yes, I see them, I just can't make out what some of the numbers are, for instance the one above four.
Last edited by Roraborealis (2005-06-16 18:45:46)
School is practice for the future. Practice makes perfect. But - nobody's perfect, so why practice?
Offline
#6 2005-06-16 20:19:25
- justlookingforthemoment
- Moderator
- Registered: 2005-05-26
- Posts: 2,161
Re: Magic Squares
Sorry...did I spoil it for everyone else or did you remove it in time, MathsIsFun?
Offline
#7 2005-06-16 22:23:38
- MathsIsFun
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-01-21
- Posts: 7,713
Re: Magic Squares
Not at all spoiled, justlooking, and anyway, you CAN solve them when you want!
Rora, I think the numbers are:
16 3 2 13
5 10 11 8
9 6 7 12
4 15 14 1
Why?
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
Offline
#8 2005-06-16 22:30:57
- justlookingforthemoment
- Moderator
- Registered: 2005-05-26
- Posts: 2,161
Re: Magic Squares
Phew!
Offline
#9 2005-06-17 03:12:38
- Roraborealis
- Member
- Registered: 2005-03-17
- Posts: 1,594
Re: Magic Squares
Is it because they all add up to 34 in each row?
School is practice for the future. Practice makes perfect. But - nobody's perfect, so why practice?
Offline
#10 2005-06-17 11:19:44
- MathsIsFun
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-01-21
- Posts: 7,713
Re: Magic Squares
How about the columns? And diagonally as well?
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
Offline
#11 2005-06-17 18:22:36
- justlookingforthemoment
- Moderator
- Registered: 2005-05-26
- Posts: 2,161
Re: Magic Squares
They're magic!
Offline
#12 2005-06-17 19:00:54
- justlookingforthemoment
- Moderator
- Registered: 2005-05-26
- Posts: 2,161
Re: Magic Squares
Albrect Durer
Albrecht Dürer
Offline
#13 2005-06-17 20:56:26
- MathsIsFun
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-01-21
- Posts: 7,713
Re: Magic Squares
Entschuldigung !
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
Offline
#14 2005-06-17 23:34:17
- stewie
- Member
- Registered: 2005-03-28
- Posts: 820
Re: Magic Squares
Top right, below the bell.
I didn't know Zach was in the picture. 
HAPPY HAPPY, JOY JOY 
Fatboy Slim is the band of the 90s, thats if you want to call it a band because its really a one man name
Offline
#15 2005-06-18 16:40:26
- akshaylovesmaths
- Member
- Registered: 2005-06-16
- Posts: 1
Re: Magic Squares
16
Offline
#16 2005-06-18 19:49:23
- MathsIsFun
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-01-21
- Posts: 7,713
Re: Magic Squares
Hi akshay, that is a most elegant number. It is 2^4 and also 4^2.
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
Offline
#17 2005-06-18 20:32:16
- Roraborealis
- Member
- Registered: 2005-03-17
- Posts: 1,594
Re: Magic Squares
How about the columns? And diagonally as well?
I meant to say that, too.
School is practice for the future. Practice makes perfect. But - nobody's perfect, so why practice?
Offline
#18 2005-06-18 22:28:26
- MathsIsFun
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-01-21
- Posts: 7,713
Re: Magic Squares
Shows how long (1514) people have had a fascination with the magic of numbers. It stretches back much further of course to the Greeks, Arabsm Chinese, etc. But this is a great example.
I think at the time, such arrangements of numbers had an almost magical significance. (Hence the name Magical Squares?)
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
Offline
#19 2005-06-18 22:47:44
- Mr T
- Member
- Registered: 2005-03-30
- Posts: 1,012
Re: Magic Squares
MathsIsFun wrote:Top right, below the bell.
I didn't know Zach was in the picture.
sophisticated humour there
I come back stronger than a powered-up Pac-Man
I bought a large popcorn @ the cinema the other day, it was pretty big...some might even say it was "large Fatboy Slim is a Legend
Offline
#20 2005-06-19 04:44:26
- Roraborealis
- Member
- Registered: 2005-03-17
- Posts: 1,594
Re: Magic Squares
Oh, why don't you just leave Zach alone? Do you have a problem with his existence?
Last edited by Roraborealis (2005-06-19 04:44:40)
School is practice for the future. Practice makes perfect. But - nobody's perfect, so why practice?
Offline
#21 2005-06-19 05:28:03
- Zach
- Member
- Registered: 2005-03-23
- Posts: 2,075
Re: Magic Squares
It's a natural human response to be like this when you're intimidated by someone.
Boy let me tell you what:
I bet you didn't know it, but I'm a fiddle player too.
And if you'd care to take a dare, I'll make a bet with you.
Offline
#22 2005-06-19 20:42:31
- justlookingforthemoment
- Moderator
- Registered: 2005-05-26
- Posts: 2,161
Re: Magic Squares
I think they're just jealous of people who speak English.
Offline
#23 2005-06-22 08:47:12
- Mr T
- Member
- Registered: 2005-03-30
- Posts: 1,012
Re: Magic Squares
I am sensing a sense of hostility towards myself and stewie right now.
I come back stronger than a powered-up Pac-Man
I bought a large popcorn @ the cinema the other day, it was pretty big...some might even say it was "large Fatboy Slim is a Legend
Offline
#24 2005-06-22 10:49:05
- MathsIsFun
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-01-21
- Posts: 7,713
Re: Magic Squares
Hostility? I hope not. I am thinking it is just light banter, or it gets deleted.
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
Offline
#25 2005-06-30 20:35:25
- justlookingforthemoment
- Moderator
- Registered: 2005-05-26
- Posts: 2,161
Re: Magic Squares
With Rod's magic square above (I see that it's gone missing) any 2x2 group of numbers in a quare that you pick also adds up to 34.
Here is a 5x5 magic square:
17 14 6 3 25
8 5 22 19 11
24 16 13 10 2
15 7 4 21 18
1 23 20 12 9It is symmetrical around its centre square, which means if you pick any two numbers which are opposite, they will add up to twice the centre square.
Also, if you tiled a floor with the above magic square, you could select any 5x5 grid and it would still be magic.
Last edited by justlookingforthemoment (2005-06-30 20:41:24)
Offline