The Magic Square is possibly the oldest mathematical puzzle in C existence. Examples have been found dating back to before 2000 BC. By AD 900 one Arab treatise was recommending that pregnant women should wear a charm marked with a Magic Square for a favorable birth.
Can you distribute the numbers 1 through 16 in this 4x4 square so that lines across, lines down, and major diagonals all add up to the same total?
| ? | ? | ? | ? |
| ? | ? | ? | ? |
| ? | ? | ? | ? |
| ? | ? | ? | ? |
Answer:
There are several arrangements. Here is one of them:
| 16 | 3 | 2 | 13 |
| 5 | 10 | 11 | 8 |
| 9 | 6 | 7 | 12 |
| 4 | 15 | 14 | 1 |
