perplexus.info :: Just Math : Looking for a square result

Looking for a square result (Posted on 2018-06-14)

For each positive integer n, let Mn be the square matrix (nxn) where each diagonal entry is 2018, and every other entry is 1.

Determine the smallest positive integer n (if any) for which the value
of det(Mn) is a perfect square.

No Solution Yet Submitted by Ady TZIDON

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re(2): n = 4 is a square, regardless of

| Comment 12 of 18 |

Yikes! - I was doing my determinants wrong - I was making products by wrapping around long diagonals - and that ain't the ways it's done for n>3

Thanks for correcting me. Back to the drawing board.

Posted by Steven Lord on 2018-06-15 12:52:06

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