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Magic cubes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2016

Marián Trenkler*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Natural Science, Šafárik University, Jesenná 5, 041 54 Košice, Slovakia email [email protected]

Extract

Since antiquity mathematicians (and not only them) have taken an interest in constructing magic squares. Probably the first magic square ever created is the one shown in Figure 1. Its origin is shrouded in the mystical legends of ancient China. It became to be known as Luo Shu (Luo river writing). There was no clear connection between this configuration and mathematical study until the time of Yang Hui, even though it was described in the sixth century. Another well-known magic square (Figure 2) is in the painting Melancholia made by the famous renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer in 1514 (the year is formed in the middle of the lowest row).

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Mathematical Association 1998 

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References

1. Mackinnon, Nick, The portrait of Fra Luca Pacioli, Math. Gaz. 77 (July 1993), pp. 130219.10.2307/3619717Google Scholar
2. Postnikov, M.M., Magic squares (in Russian) Nauka, Moskva (1964).Google Scholar
3. Denes, J. and Keedwell, A.D., Latin squares and their applications Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest (1974).Google Scholar