document.write( "Question 774240: solve these magic squares, all rows,columns and diagonals all line up to the same number:
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document.write( "-6 8 -2 ? ? 5 ? ? ?
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document.write( "? ? ? ? -12 ? ? -12 -16
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document.write( " ? -8 ? ? -8 3 -10 ? ?\r
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document.write( "6 ? 4 -18
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document.write( "? ? -6 ?
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document.write( "? ? -8 10
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document.write( "12 ? ? -12 \n" );
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Algebra.Com's Answer #472304 by Edwin McCravy(20060)![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! \r\n" ); document.write( "I'll do only the last one, the hardest one. The others \r\n" ); document.write( "are similar but easier. However there is no solution to \r\n" ); document.write( "the second one. Put different letters in place of the\r\n" ); document.write( " question marks:\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "A B 5\r\n" ); document.write( "C -12 D\r\n" ); document.write( "E -8 3\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "The diagonal sum 5-12+E (I'll label that Diag2) cannot equal to the\r\n" ); document.write( "bottom row sum (I'll label that Row3)\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "5-12+E=E-8+3\r\n" ); document.write( " -7+E=E-5\r\n" ); document.write( " -7=-5\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "A contradiction. So a solution is impossible.\r\n" ); document.write( "Did you perchance type a number wrong? (The others have solutions). \r\n" ); document.write( "--------------------------------------------\r\n" ); document.write( "Here's the last one, the hardest one:\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Put different letters in place\r\n" ); document.write( "of all the question marks:\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( " 6 A 4 -18\r\n" ); document.write( " B C -6 D\r\n" ); document.write( " E F -8 10\r\n" ); document.write( "12 G H -12\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Write out the row, column, and diagonal sums\r\n" ); document.write( "and simplify them:\r\n" ); document.write( " \r\n" ); document.write( " Row1: 6+A+4-18 = A-8 \r\n" ); document.write( " Row2: B+C-6+D = B+C+D-6 \r\n" ); document.write( " Row3: E+F-8+10 = E+F+2 \r\n" ); document.write( " Row4: 12+G+H-12 = G+H \r\n" ); document.write( " Col1: 6+B+E+12 = B+E+18 \r\n" ); document.write( " Col2: A+C+F+G = A+C+F+G \r\n" ); document.write( " Col3: 4-6-8+H = H-10 \r\n" ); document.write( " Col4: -18+D+10-12 = D-20 \r\n" ); document.write( " Diag1:0 6+C-8-12 = C-14 \r\n" ); document.write( " Diag2: -18-6+F+12 = F-12 \r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Row3 and Diag2 contain only E and F, so we set their sums equal:\r\n" ); document.write( " \r\n" ); document.write( "E+F+2 = F-12\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Subtract F from both sides:\r\n" ); document.write( " \r\n" ); document.write( " E = -14\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Row4 and Col3 contain only G and H, so we set their sums equal:\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "G+H = H-10\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Subtract H from both sides\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( " G = -10\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "So we substitute those in, and our list of sums get\r\n" ); document.write( "a couple more columns on the right\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Row 1: 6+A+4-18 = A-8 \r\n" ); document.write( "Row 2: B+C-6+D = B+C+D-6 \r\n" ); document.write( "Row 3: E+F-8+10 = E+F+2 = -14+F+2 = F-12 \r\n" ); document.write( "Row 4: 12+G+H-12 = G+H = -10+H = H-10 \r\n" ); document.write( "Col 1: 6+B+E+12 = B+E+18 = B-14+18 = B+4 \r\n" ); document.write( "Col 2: A+C+F+G = A+C+F+G = A+C+F-10 \r\n" ); document.write( "Col 3: 4-6-8+H = H-10 \r\n" ); document.write( "Col 4: -18+D+10-12 = D-20 \r\n" ); document.write( "Diag1: 6+C-8-12 = C-14 \r\n" ); document.write( "Diag2: -18-6+F+12 = F-12\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Now let's get things in terms of A:\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "A-8=F-12 A-8=H-10 A-8=B+4 A-8=D-20 A-8=C-14 \r\n" ); document.write( "A+4=F A+2=H A-12=B A+12=D A+6=C\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Set Row1 = Row2, simplify, then substitute the above in the \r\n" ); document.write( "expression for Row2: \r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( " B+C+D-6=A-8\r\n" ); document.write( " B+C+D+2=A \r\n" ); document.write( "(A-12)+(A+6)+(A+12)+2=A\r\n" ); document.write( " A-12+A+6+A+12+2=A\r\n" ); document.write( " 3A+8=A\r\n" ); document.write( " 2A=-8\r\n" ); document.write( " A=-4\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "So\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( " A+4=F A+2=H A-12=B A+12=D A+6=C\r\n" ); document.write( "-4+4=F -4+2=H -4-12=B -4+12=D -4+6=C \r\n" ); document.write( " 0=F -2=H -16=B 8=D 2=C\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "And we had found the values E=-14 and G=-10 first.\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "That's it.\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( " 6 A 4 -18 6 -4 4 -18\r\n" ); document.write( " B C -6 D -16 2 -6 8\r\n" ); document.write( " E F -8 10 -14 0 -8 10\r\n" ); document.write( "12 G H -12 12 -10 -2 -12\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "You do the others.\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Edwin\n" ); document.write( " |