Magic Square, Math, Recreational, Luo Shu Square, Lo Shu, 洛书

thingiverse

The Magic Square has a rich Chinese heritage and has been used in both educational and recreational mathematics for centuries. It is a simple yet engaging puzzle: Arrange the numbers {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9} to form a square where the sum of three numbers along each row, column, and diagonal are all equal. As a warm-up exercise, ask children to calculate the total sum: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 = ? Children will discover multiple ways to add up the numbers! The Magic Square comes in various sizes, with different orders possible. However, as the square grows, it becomes increasingly complex for school children to handle. A physical model of the Magic Square can greatly enhance exploration and encourage math discussions among children. It allows them to manipulate the puzzle, discover patterns, and make adjustments as needed. Two sizes are available: 64mm^2 and 100mm^2. References: 1. Magic Square. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_square 2. Weisstein, Eric W. "Magic Square." From MathWorld--A Wolfram Web Resource. http://mathworld.wolfram.com/MagicSquare.html 3. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2158244015585828