An Illustrated Introduction to Some Old Magic Squares from India

George P. H. Styan () and Ka Lok Chu ()
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George P. H. Styan: McGill University, Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Ka Lok Chu: Dawson College

A chapter in Combinatorial Matrix Theory and Generalized Inverses of Matrices, 2013, pp 227-252 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract In this article we consider old magic squares from India associated with 1. Daivajna Varāhamihira (505–587 AD) and his Bṛhat Saṁhitā [39]: magic perfume; 2. Khajuraho 945 AD: Sir Alexander Cunningham (1814–1893) [14]; 3. Dudhai (Jhansi district) early 11th century: Harold Hargreaves (b. 1876) [27]; 4. Ṭhakkura Pherū (fl. 1291–1323): Gaṇitasārakaumudī: The Moonlight of the Essence of Mathematics [1]; 5. Simon de la Loubère (1642–1729): Monsieur Vincent, Surat [3,15]; 6. Major-General Robert Shortrede (1800–1868) [16], Gwalior 1483 [11, (1842)]; Andrew Hollingworth Frost (1819–1907) [23], Nasik [17, (1877)]; 7. Nārāyaṇa Paṇḍita (fl. 1340–1400): Gaṇita Kaumudī [2, (1356)]; 8. Srinivasa Aiyangar Ramanujan (1887–1920) [34,35,40,43]; Prasantha Chandra Mahalanobis (1893–1972). Magic squares were once part of occult philosophy, but more recently, however, they form part of recreational mathematics. For the past 50 years or so, they have been studied in a matrix-theoretic setting. Our main interest is in the history and philosophy of magic squares and the related magic matrices and in the related bibliography and biographies. We try to illustrate our findings as much as possible and, whenever feasible, with images of postage stamps and other philatelic items.

Keywords: Sir Alexander Cunningham (1814–1893); Andrew Hollingworth Frost (1819–1907); Harold Hargreaves (b. 1876); Simon de la Loubère (1642–1729); Prasantha Chandra Mahalanobis (1893–1972); Nārāyaṇa Paṇḍita (fl. 1340–1400); Ṭhakkura Pherū (fl. 1291–1323); Srinivasa Aiyangar Ramanujan (1887–1920); Major-General Robert Shortrede (1800–1868); Daivajna Varāhamihira (505–587 AD); Bibliography; Biography; Chota Surang shrine; Dudhai (Jhansi district); Franklin’s most magically magical of magic squares; Gwalior magic squares; Khajuraho magic square; Magic matrices; Magic perfume; Nasik (pandiagonal) magic squares; Recreational mathematics; Rhomboidal magic squares; 00A08; 01A32; 15A24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-81-322-1053-5_18

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DOI: 10.1007/978-81-322-1053-5_18

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