ABSTRACT
A standard magic square is a square array of positive integers starting from 1 and arranged in such a manner that every row and every column (and also the two main diagonals) add up to the same number. The square of order 1 is obviously a trivial one consisting of the numeral 1 by itself. The next simplest magic square should be of order 2 and involve the four numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, but a little trial and error will soon convince the reader that no such two-by-two magic square can possibly be arranged. Interestingly enough there is always an exact balance between 1 and 25, 2 and 24, 3 and 23, and so on in this respect, and this must be so because any magic square of order-5 can be turned into another by subtracting each component number from 26.
