Find a 3x3 magic square that is composed of 9 prime numbers (not the numbers from 1-9) and show how you found it.

(A magic square, as you may already know, is one in which the respective sums of the numbers in all the rows, columns, and both major diagonals all add up to the same number.)
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Since "Magic Square" is a term used outside the scope of this problem, I'm sure you can find an answer on the internet. Please find a solution independently.

It is somewhat difficult to construct a 'magic square' without using prime numbers between 1 and 9. The next smallest magic quare you can construct looks like this:

1669   199  1249

 619  1039  1459

 829  1879   409

You can construct this square using consecutive prime numbers which form the smallest possible magic constant - a magic constant is where the numbers along any line will sum up in a magic square (and I got that textbook definition from my math textbook). I cannot show the formula because I am not tech-savvy enough to format it so that it will appear correctly on the screen!

 

Posted by Jane Doe on 2004-03-09 15:18:18