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“I have often admired the mystical way of Pythagoras, and the secret magic of numbers“

Sir Thomas Browne first said this in the seventeenth century, and although he probably wasn’t talking about Magic Squares, it most certainly does apply to this very fascinating and ancient of mathematical constructions.

If Magic Squares are something new for you, then it is nothing more than a square grid (e.g. 3 x 3, 4 x 4), where the sum of all the numbers in each row and each column, and, to be classified as a perfect Magic Square, the sum of all the numbers in both corner diagonals, all add up to the same total, which is often referred to as the “magic total”.

You may be surprised to know that Magic Squares date back all the way to 2,800BC when a magic square known as the “Loh-Shu”, which can be translated as “scroll of the river Loh”, was invented by Fuh-Hi, the mythical founder of Chinese civilization.

Independently of this, Magic Squares have been found in Roman, Greek, Arabian and Indian cultures too, all of them dating back hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

There are many mathematicians, the world over, including the famous Benjamin Franklin, who have added their insights to these mathematical curiosities, to the extent that even today, there are dedicated maths nuts who are still discovering intriguing, new aspects of Magic Squares.

Given that Magic Squares are primarily based on numbers (although alphabetic versions exist as well), it is not too much of a stretch to accept that they are also used in a sort of astrological / numerological way, and this has been most common in India, where the Yantra is constructed using a person’s full birthdate, and then used to give a character assessment.

That’s all very well, but I’m sure you wondering whether Magic Squares have any practical uses.

Well, in one aspect, they certainly do – they are a great means of educating children about mathematics and the relationships between numbers.

There are plenty of examples on the Internet to be found, and in particular, a free Magic Squares Worksheet that combines a three-dimensional puzzle with a Magic Square, which will keep children of all ages (including adults!) both educated and entertained.

Magic Squares also crop up in the world of magic (of the conjuring variety, that is), being used both as the effect itself and the secret method by which the effect is achieved. Many books have been written on this subject, including one widely-acclaimed one that is simply called Magic Squares and that presents both a mathematical analysis of the subject and some of the many uses to which magicians have put Magic Squares.

Magic Squares can be addctive, however – you have been warned!