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Ltryptophan's avatar

Is it possible to solve a magic square made up of a system of unknown symbols?

Asked by Ltryptophan (12091points) December 10th, 2021 from iPhone

Let’s say you find a magic square written in a foreign language. Could you solve what each symbol’s numeric value is and thereby come to a translation for those symbols?

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5 Answers

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zenvelo's avatar

No. I could populate a 9×9 magic square with the letters A through I. You would never figure out what numbers were represented by the letters because a 9×9 magic square is not unique.

LostInParadise's avatar

Any magic square has multiple solutions in the sense that you can turn one solution into others by rotating 90, 180 or 270 degrees or by reflecting horizontally, vertically or along the diagonals.

LostInParadise's avatar

For a 3 by 3 magic square you would know the value in the middle, which has to be 5.

kritiper's avatar

Are the symbols invisible??

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