Question

Lntegers 0, -2, -3, -4, -5, -6, -7, -8, and -10 to fill in a 3 x 3 magic square so that every row, column, and diagonal has the same sum. The sum must be -15.

Answer 1

The given numbers are 0, -2, -3, -4, -5, -6, -7, -8, and -10.

Sum of all the integers is -45.

There are 9 places in 3x3 magic square, so divide -45 by 9, we have -45/9=-5.

Put the number -5 at the center place in the magic square.

Now, take the integer having the largest magnitude, i.e -10.

There are two positions to place -10, one is diagonal positions and the other is non-diagonal positions and to make sum = -15, the other number with -5 and -10 must be 0 as shown in the figure (i) and (ii).

Now, the row and column having 0 must have -8 and -7 to make sum -15, which disregards the possibility of -10 at the diagonal place ( figure (i)). So, proceeds with the places in figure (ii), the possible places of -8 and -7 have been shown in figure (iii).

Now, as the sum of diagonals = -15, so place -3 and -2 at diagonal positions and also place the remaining numbers -4 and -6 to make the sum of numbers in columns and rows -15 as shown in figure (iv).