Magic Squares Wheel Method-Redux Part V

Picture of a wheel

Two Variants of Order 9 - Border Squares

The wheel method is a means of constructing magic squares by a random access means instead of sequentially like the Loubère and Méziriac methods which has been rewritten in a more simplified form. The method patially fills up a square to form a wheel structure using numbers chosen from a complementary table of order n then randomly fills up the rest of the square with numbers chosen from whatever is left in the complementary table. This paper is a simplification of the original paper taking a more facile and explanatory approach. Filling up the non spoke numbers can be compared to the filling up a large Soduku square but using complementary table and Summation tables to aid in the filling of the square which will be discussed below.

One 9th order variant (out of a total of 192 combinations), is constructed so that the group of numbers in the left diagonal ½(n2-n+2) to ½(n2+n) line up according to the following reverse order 40 → 39 → 38 → 37 → 41 → 45 → 44 → 43 → 42. The rest of the spoke numbers come from the first 12 pairs (in light brown) of the complementary table shown at the end. A pair corresponds to a number and its complement which are positioned on the square according to symmetrical considerations, i.e., each value from a pair of complements are equidistant from the center cell. In this case the pairs were chosen from the complementary table as follows: the first 4 pairs placed in the central row, the second 4 pairs placed on the right diagonal and the third 4 pairs in the central column all placed in random order, not sequentially, as was done in Part I. This section is a continuation of Part IV which produced a non border square as opposed to this section where the square generated is a border type.

  1. To start the the wheel is constructed according to the method employed in Part I (Squares I-IV).
  2. Aside I: If we sum up the numbers in each row (R) and column (C) of square IV we get the results in the Summation table where the sums can be broken down into the requisite sum pairs. These pairs can only take on the values of 81, 82 or 83, values which correspond to adjacent complement pairs. We then take these values, go over to the complement table and choose the complement pairs that fulfill this sum requirement.
  3. Aside II: If we look at the parity column we can see that the parity of the two row or column numbers (R/C) in (1,9), (2,8), (3,7) and (4,6) must be the same (where O is odd and E is even) in order for the square to be magic. Therefore, having the Summation table as a guide is a necessity in order to facilitate the placement of the complement numbers. It's also good to have the accompanying complement table on hand so as to add up and cross out the pair of numbers as they are chosen.
  4. Continuing we add the three complement pairs {14,68}, {16,66}, {18,64} to rows four and six as shown then add the three complements {17,65}, {15,67}, {13,69} in reverse order as shown in square V.
  5. Second add the three complement pairs {20,60}, {24,58}, {18,64} to columns four and six as shown then add the three complements {23,59}, {21,61}, {19,63} in reverse order as shown in square V.
  6. Note that the large numbers decrease by two as they go into the square while the low numbers increase by two. The colors of adjacent pairs on the complement table should be the same and therefore are seen to be centrally opposite from one another. In addition, the numbers in blue are the non spokes of the central 5th order square (not magic).
  7. The central 7x7 square is filled in as was done in Part I using the summation table as a guide employing the pairs {23,48} and {21,61} for row two; reversed {34,49} and {22,61} for row eight; {46,35} and {15,66} for column two; reversed {47,36} and {16,67} for column eight. (Square VI). Note that R/C 3 and 7 may also be broken down into the sums {81+81+83} and {83+83+81} However, these numbers of O+O+O parity are disallowed for this table since it will be difficult if not impossible to produce a magic square via this approach.
  8. Square I
    40
    39
    38
    37
    41
    45
    44
    43
    42
    Square II
    40 77
    39 76
    38 75
    3774
    41
    845
    7 44
    6 43
    5 42
    Square III
    40 9 77
    39 10 76
    38 11 75
    371274
    41
    8 70 45
    7 71 44
    6 72 43
    5 73 42
    Square IV
    40 9 77
    39 10 76
    38 11 75
    371274
    818079 78 41 4 321
    8 70 45
    7 71 44
    6 72 43
    5 73 42
    Summation Table
    R/CSumPair SumParity
    124381+81+81O+O+O
    224481+81+82O+O+E
    324581+82+82O+E+E
    424682+82+82E+E+E
    5---
    624682+82+82E+E+E
    724782+82+83E+E+O
    824883+83+82O+O+E
    924983+83+83O+O+O
    Square V
    40 62 919 77
    39 60 10 21 76
    38 58 11 23 75
    686664 37 12 74 18 1614
    81 80 79 78 41 4 3 21
    131517 8 7045 65 67 69
    7 24 71 59 44
    6 227261 43
    5 207363 42
  9. Place {25,56} in row one, followed by {57,26} in the last row in reverse order. Place {29,53} in row two, followed by {52,30} in reverse order in row eight (Square VII).
  10. Finally fill in row one and row nine with the two adjacent pairs {27,54} and the other {55,28} in reverse order, then finish by filling in row three with {31,51} and row seven with {50,32} (Square VIII). VIII is a border square with the magic sum values of 123, 205, 287 and 369 for the 3rd, 5th, 7th and the 9th order squares of which it is composed.
  11. Square VI
    40 62 919 77
    39 48 60 10 2133 76
    3538 58 11 23 75 47
    686664 37 12 74 18 1614
    81 80 79 78 41 4 3 21
    131517 8 70 45 65 6769
    46 7 24 71 59 4436
    634 227261 49 43
    5 201063 42
    Square VII
    4025 62 919 5677
    29 39 48 60 10 2133 7653
    3538 58 11 23 75 47
    686664 37 12 74 18 1614
    81 80 79 78 41 4 3 21
    131517 8 70 45 65 6769
    46 7 24 71 59 4436
    52634 227261 49 4330
    557 207363 2642
    Border Square VIII
    4025 2762 919 54 5677
    29 39 48 60 10 2133 7653
    313538 58 11 23 75 4751
    686664 37 12 74 18 1614
    81 80 79 78 41 4 3 21
    131517 8 70 45 65 6769
    5046 7 24 71 59 443632
    52634 227261 49 4330
    55755 207363 28 2642
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
    41
    81 80 79 78 77 76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42
  12. Square VIII can also be modified by placing all the spoke numbers in reverse direction and retaining all of the non spoke numbers. The Summation and complement tables are identical for this new square IXa and the color formatted IXb to show the internal squares. A partial order square X is included to show that changing the order of two numbers in each of the spokes of the wheel structure can produce at least one less square, the 5x5 being not magic. The only difference in the Summation table is that the sum and parity of R/C (2 and 3) and (7 and 8) are reversed leading to one less magic square.
Border Square IXa
4025 2762 1219 54 5674
29 39 48 60 11 2133 7553
313538 581023 764751
686664 37977 18 1614
787980 81 41 1 234
131517 5 73 45 65 6769
50466 24 7259 443632
52734 227161 49 4330
85755 207063 28 2642
Border Square IXb
4025 2762 1219 54 5674
29 39 48 60 11 2133 7553
313538 581023 764751
686664 37977 18 1614
787980 81 41 1 234
131517 5 73 45 65 6769
50466 24 7259 443632
52734 227161 49 4330
85755 207063 28 2642
Partial Border Square X
4025 2762 1219 54 5674
2938 48 60 10 2134 7653
313539 581123 754751
686664 37977 18 1614
788079 81 41 1 324
131517 5 73 45 65 6769
50467 24 7159 433632
52633 227261 49 4430
85755 207063 28 2642

Go to Part VI where two border 11th order squares are displayed.
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Copyright © 2020 (revised from 2009) by Eddie N Gutierrez. E-Mail: enaguti1949@gmail.com