How the Magic Square was Made – Solution to Blog Post

A study of the two illustrations given here show how the figured squares from our post The Problem of the Magic Square, was cut up and put together again in a different way, so that it became a magic square – that is to say, a square, each column, horizontal row, and diagonal of which, when added up, give the same result.

The first picture shows the original square cut into four pieces, one piece containing two figured spaces, another piece four figured spaces, and the remaining two pieces each containing five figured spaces.

Magic Sq Solution

The second picture shows these four pieces arranged in a new and magic order. It will be found that every column in this arrangement makes 34 when added up and that every horizontal row and each of the two diagonals give the same result, thus forming a magic square.

This puzzle appeared in the 1928 edition of the Book of Knowledge in an entitled – Things to Make and Things to Do.

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