Mathematics Investigation - Magic Squares

Like learning most subjects in schools, children learn mathematics best by doing and
making the concepts and skills of mathematics their own. Therefore, it is essential that activities
designed for students to discuss and investigate mathematical ideas be encouraged in the
teaching and learning of mathematics. For example, teachers may use magic squares to
stimulate discussions. There is tremendous scope for students to apply and test their
mathematical skills in their creation of magic squares. Some areas that can be considered are: -
What is a magic square?

Why are they called magic?

Types and examples of magic squares
How to construct magic squares?
Purpose of Magic Square in Real Life

-What is a magic square

Magic Squares are square grids with a special arrangement of numbers in

them. These numbers are special because every row, column and diagonal
adds up to the same number. So for the example below, 15 is the magic
number. Could you work this out just from knowing that the square uses the
numbers from 1 to 9?

Also, the two numbers that are opposite each other across the centre
number will add up to the same number. So in the square above, 8 + 2 = 10
, 6 + 4 = 10, 1 + 9 = 10 and 3 + 7 = 10. Why is this?

The "order" of a magic square tells how many rows or columns it has. So a
square with 3 rows and columns is Order 3, and a square with 4 rows and
columns is Order 4 and so on. If you'd like to find out more about how to
make up your own magic squares, and the mathematics behind it all, you
can go to some other pages on the website such as Magic
Squares and Magic Squares II .

Why are they called magic?

So the numbers in the Magic Square are special, but why are they called
magic? It seems that from ancient times they were connected with the
supernatural and magical world. The earliest record of magic squares is from
China in about 2200 BC. and is called "Lo-Shu". There's a legend that says
that the Emperor Yu saw this magic square on the back of a divine tortoise
in the Yellow River.

The black knots show even numbers and the white knots show odd numbers.
Look closely and you'll see that this ancient magic square is the same as our
example above. Magic squares were first mentioned in the Western world in
the work of Theon of Smyrna. They were also used by Arab astrologers in
the 9th century to help work out horoscopes. The work of the Greek
mathematician Moschopoulos in 1300 A.D. help to spread knowledge about
magic squares. So here we are now, more than 700 years later, and
teachers are using them in class for problem solving and practising addition.

You can make similar magic squares, of order 3, using different numbers.
Can you see any patterns in the numbers that work?
Types and examples of magic squares

 Normal Magic Square: A normal magic square is one in which only the natural numbers
1, 2, 3, ...n*n are used to fill an n by n grid. The lo-shu is an example of a normal magic
square; only the numbers 1 through 9 are used to fill the 3 by 3 grid.

8 1 6
3 5 7
4 9 2

 Even/Odd Order Magic Squares: Magic squares of even order contain an even number
of rows and an even number of columns while magic squares of odd order contain an odd
number of rows and an odd number of columns.
 Doubly Even Magic Squares: Doubly even magic squares are all those whose order (for
an n by n, the order is n) is a multiple of 4.
 Singly Even Magic Squares: Singly even magic squares are all other even order magic
squares.
 Pandiagonal Magic Squares: Pandiagonal (a. k. a. panmagic or perfect) magic squares
occur when the entries of the broken diagonals also sum to the magic constant. The magic
square in Durer's Melancholia is one example of a pandiagonal magic square.

16 3 2 13
5 10 11 8
9 6 7 12
4 15 14 1

 Regular Magic Squares: A regular (a. k. a. associated) magic square occurs when the
sum of any two numbers located in cells diametrically equidistant from the center of the
square equals the sum of the first and last terms of the square. Both the lo-shu and Durer's
magic square are examples of regular magic squares.

How to construct magic squares?

Magic squares have intrigued people for thousands of years and in ancient
times they were thought to be connected with the supernatural and hence,
magical. Today, we might still think of them as being magical, for the sum of
each row, column and diagonal is a constant, the magic constant. The
squares intrigued me when I found that their construction was far from easy.
For the simple 3x3, that is order 3 magic square, trial and improvement
quickly does the job; but for higher than order 4 magic squares a method is
necessary. The problem of construction is twofold. An algorithm which works
for odd order squares will not work for even order squares without the
further addition of another algorithm. At least, I know of no method which
will work for both odd and even orders, other than trial and improvement
computer programs. For the purposes of this article, I will be considering
only magic squares that are constructed using consecutive integers from 1
to n 2 , where n is the number of integers on one side of the square.

Odd magic squares are fairly easily constructed using the either the Siamese
(sometimes called de la Loubere's, or the Staircase method), the Lozenge,
or the de Meziriac's methods.
De Meziriac's method can be found on page 76 in the book "Mathematical
Games and Puzzles'', by Trevor Rice and published by B.T Batsford Limited,
London. Another way, which I prefer (but then that was the way I learned to
construct odd order squares), is the extended Pyramid method or diagonals.
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 n 2 of the n x n magic square in
the diagonals as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
3. Relocate any number not in the n x n square (that appears in the
pyramids you added) to the opposite hole inside the square (shaded).

Figure 1
The same Pyramid method can be used for any odd order magic square as
shown below for the 5x5 square in Figure 2.

Figure 2

We can use some properties of magic squares to construct more squares

from the manufactured squares above; e.g.

1. A magic square will remain magic if any number is added to every

number of a magic square.
2. A magic square will remain magic if any number multiplies every
number of a magic square.
3. A magic square will remain magic if two rows, or columns, equidistant
from the centre are interchanged.
4. An even order magic square ( n x n where n is even) will remain magic
if the quadrants are interchanged.
5. An odd order magic square will remain magic if the partial quadrants
and the row is interchanged.

This will be the subject of the next article published in September.

Constructing the even order magic squares does present more of a

challenge.
All the methods I have seen in the literature are rather complicated, in that
they require the use of two or more algorithms. There are claims for a
simple method for the construction of even order magic squares, but I have
yet to find such a method. However, the following method, which I have
developed, uses but one algorithm and will work for any even sided square.
I call it the "paired exchange method". The theory behind the paired method
is fairly straightforward.

Consider the first and last column of a n x n magic square where n is even.
Starting by placing the integers in order across the rows of the square (see
figure 3), the difference between the first and last number in any row will
be n - 1. Since there are n rows in the square, there will be a total difference
of n ( n -1) between the first and last column of the square. To balance the
total for the first and last columns we must exchange pairs of numbers
between the first and last columns and each exchanged pair must be from
the same row, so as not to change the sum total of the row. How many
times must we exchange pairs to equalise the columns? When a pair is
exchanged in a row the difference between the columns changes by 2( n -1).
If t is the number of times pairs must be exchanged, then

t [2( n - 1)] = n ( n - 1),

2t=n,

and t = n /2.

A similar argument can be made for the 2 nd and the next to last columns,
since the only change in the above formulae will be to substitute ( n - 3) for
( n - 1). The resulting t stays the same. In like manner, all columns paired
from the centre line of the square can be made to be equal, and since the
numbers in the original square are consecutive integers, all the columns will
be equal to the magic constant for the n by n magic square. Of course,
columns are just rows seen from a different viewpoint, hence in a like
manner all rows can be made to equal the magic constant. Now let's look at
a few examples.

Consider the 4 by 4 magic square. t is now equal to 2. The choice of pairs to

exchange is limited if we want the sum of the numbers on the diagonals to
equal the magic constant. The pairs must be on the diagonals. By reflecting
in the centre lines x and then y we achieve the same as a single reflection in
the lines y = x and y = - x . Or to state it another way, we exchange the
numbers with their opposite numbers equidistant from the centre along the
diagonals (see figure 3). We have exchanged two pairs in each row and
column of the square and the results is a magic square.
Figure 3

The 6 by 6 magic square is constructed in the same manner, but here t = 3,

hence we have much more freedom in our choice of pairs for each column
and row. We exchange all the pairs on the diagonal, which is equivalent to
exchanging two pairs from each pair of rows and columns, so we must now
exchange one more pair from each pair of rows and columns to equalise
them. One such choice in the construction of a 6 by 6 magic square is shown
in figures 4, 5 and 6 below.

Figure 4

Exchange the pairs in the diagonals.

Here we equalise the rows before the columns, the opposite order to that
discussed in the text. It can be done in any order.
Figure 5

Exchange the pairs in the columns.

Figure 6

Exchange the pairs in the rows.

How many other choices we have is possible to calculate, but I will leave
that for another time. In the meantime try making a 7 by 7 magic square, or
a 8 by 8, or a 10 by 10, or ....

Purpose of Magic Square in Real Life

Recreation of those who interested in simplicity of an abstract world.

1. You need to know only one mathematical operation. The Addition !
2. Only one condition to be satisfied. Magic Sum !

In Magic Squares, you can use natural numbers starting from 1.

In Magic Squares, you can have fractions.
In Magic Squares, you can have repetitions.
In Magic Squares, you can have irrationals.
There is no boundary !

So, solving magic square 3x3 puzzle by trial and error is going to be harder than sudoku
of 81 cells. Magic Square tells us there are no shortcuts to answer, you have to do the
calculations to reach there. And it's not the answer, but the method/journey is what is
more important !