A name game
A school class consisted of Elsa, John, Marty, Paul, Sheila, Smack and Suzy. I explained to them that a 3-by-3 magic square consists of an array of nine different numbers such that any row, column or diagonal has the same sum. I asked each of them to make one using only whole numbers between 1 and 26 inclusive.
They each succeeded and I then asked them to replace their numbers by letters using A=1, B=2, C=3 and so on. Amazingly, in every case but one the child鈥檚 magic square contained the letters of their name.
Whose did not?
Advertisement
WIN 拢15 will be awarded to the sender of the first correctanswer opened on Wednesday 22 April. The Editor鈥檚 decision is final. Please send entries to Enigma 1537, New 杏吧原创, Lacon House, 84 Theobald鈥檚 Road, London WC1X 8NS, or to enigma@newscientist.com (please include your postal address).
Answer to 1531 The year in question: The numbers are 401, 625 and 983
The winner Pete Lee from Stowmarket, UK