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Dürer's Magic Square

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Dürer's magic square is a Magic Square with Magic Constant 34 used in an engraving entitled Melencolia I by Albrecht Dürer (The British Museum). The engraving shows a disorganized jumble of scientific equipment lying unused while an intellectual sits absorbed in thought. Dürer's magic square is located in the upper left-hand corner of the engraving. The numbers 15 and 14 appear in the middle of the bottom row, indicating the date of the engraving, 1514.


References

Boyer, C. D. and Merzbach, U. C. A History of Mathematics. New York: Wiley, pp. 296-297, 1991.

Hunter, J. A. H. and Madachy, J. S. Mathematical Diversions. New York: Dover, p. 24, 1975.

Rivera, C. ``Melancholia.'' http://www.sci.net.mx/~crivera/melancholia.htm.




© 1996-9 Eric W. Weisstein
1999-05-24