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The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Magical equations » » Magic Square for number under 21 (0 Likes) Printer Friendly Version

wizardofsorts
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Is there a magic square formula for a 4X4 square for a number under 21 that doesn't have negative numbers in it?

Thanks,
Edd
Edd Fairman, Wizard of Sorts is a corporate magician available for your next trade show, hospitality suite, client luncheon, or company event. http://www.wizardofsorts.com
WilburrUK
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If you mean without repeating any numbers, then the answer is no, the 1st 16 integers (even if you start at 0) sum to 120, so the average value of any 4 of then will be 120*4/16 = 30. So that's the lowest magic square that's possible.
stanalger
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No negative numbers and no duplicate numbers?
The answer is "yes!"
I PM'd you.

Stan Alger
LobowolfXXX
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Certainly, if you use fractions or decimals. Knowing Stan, he's got one with all whole numbers over 1,000 too!


Quote:
On 2009-02-04 04:20, WilburrUK wrote:
If you mean without repeating any numbers, then the answer is no, the 1st 16 integers (even if you start at 0) sum to 120, so the average value of any 4 of then will be 120*4/16 = 30. So that's the lowest magic square that's possible.

The first 16 numbers sum to 136, btw...which is why the "traditional" 4x4 magic square sums to 34.

Edit: My mistake...missed you starting with zero.
"Torture doesn't work" lol
Guess they forgot to tell Bill Buckley.

"...as we reason and love, we are able to hope. And hope enables us to resist those things that would enslave us."
stanalger
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The Man-On-The-Street may not feel comfortable with negative numbers,
but is probably even more uncomfortable working with fractions.
However, MOTS is used to working with decimal numbers. MOTS sees decimals
on most price tags.

Here's a square that sums to 1:

.26 .22 .19 .33
.20 .32 .27 .21
.31 .17 .24 .28
.23 .29 .30 .18

Every row; every column; EVERY 2x2 block; the corners of every 3x3, 4x4, 2x4,
and 4x2; all eight diagonals (including broken diagonals); etc.

It sums to 1 (=1.00) in 52 different ways! (For a complete list, see
Sam Dalal's Patterns of Perfection.)

Stan
WilburrUK
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Fair enough, I stand corrected, I assumed that integers were required. In that case, you can make a magic square that sums to anything you like. Just multiply each value of a standard 34 square by r/34.
magicgeorge
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Man, Stan usually impresses me but the adding a bag of dots to the 100 square...

WOS must mean with repetition so I've a great one that adds up to 20 in 1820 different ways
stanalger
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Rain on my parade, will you?
Well then I'll expose your "adds to 20 in 1820 different ways" square:
5 5 5 5
5 5 5 5
5 5 5 5
5 5 5 5

PS You wrote: "...a bag of dots to the 100 square."
THE 100 square?
Ask your average magic square "expert" to construct a square for the magic
total 100...and you're likely to get a square inferior to the 100 square
you'd get if you stripped my square of all of the dots.

Stan
magicgeorge
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Sorry Stan, I'll rephrase it.

"..a bag of dots to the smartarse 100 square"

hehehe Smile

Funnily enough, I performed magic square on stage for the first time yesterday. I'm a definite "expert" as I used a crib. I'm a big, lazy cheat.

I used John Archer's Crib method that he originally got from Dalal so I've just checked and "my" square also fits most of your other parameters. If only I'd known, I could've bored them all for an extra 10 minutes..

Actually I'm kidding I was quite unprepared by how wowed everyone was by it even though I didn't explain properly just how clever I am...cough...I mean...it is.

George
here2009
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You could just say: "Name a number over 20" Easy solution
MBrook3902
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I perform the magic square and have done it on the street and on stage. I found some nice sized (24"x30") solid white "foam" board at a craft store and just draw the 16 squares with a sharpy and a yard stick. Much easier to see when on stage. Even though I have my numbers memorized, I use a crib by writing the numbers in pencil in the top right corner of every pre-known square. I, also, didn't want negative numbers or numbers to large as I feel it looks odd and throws off the balance with the smaller pre-knowns. I just have my 1st spectator choose a number BETWEEN 1 and 5. My second spectator chooses a number FROM 1 to 9. Therefore, the lowest they can go is 21 and the highest is 49. I was also suprised at the tremendous reaction this effect gets especially as it progresses and they see what you have done.

MB
It takes 4 to 6 minutes for the brain to die without oxygen. I can fix anything in that amount of time.
Kevinh5
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I've performed Archer's method, then read Harry Andersons book, and now don't use the crib method.
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