Without mathematics, there’s nothing you can do. Everything around you is mathematics. Everything around you is numbers.
Shakuntala Devi
Welcome to Math1089 – Mathematics for All!
Thank you for visiting Math1089! I truly appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day to explore this space dedicated to the beauty and wonder of mathematics. Math is a beautiful subject, but I understand it’s not always easy to see that beauty right away—especially for students who may not yet share a passion for numbers and patterns.
On this blog, I would like to take a moment to honour Dr. Vidya Sagar, a celebrated figure in both Indian intellectual property (IP) and education. Dr. Sagar is widely recognized as an IP legend in India, having made substantial contributions to IP law, innovation management, and research. His work has greatly influenced IP policy and practice in India, helping to transform the nation’s approach to managing and protecting intellectual assets.
Beyond his impact on IP, Dr. Sagar was also a passionate educator. He founded The Sagar School, an institution committed to holistic education that balances academic rigor with personal growth. Situated in Alwar, Rajasthan, The Sagar School has become known for its beautiful campus, modern facilities, and a dedication to fostering well-rounded, future-ready students. The school’s philosophy reflects Dr. Sagar’s core values: discipline, curiosity, and respect for diverse perspectives.
Each year, The Sagar School celebrates Founder’s Day to honour Dr. Sagar’s birthday. Born on December 20, 1925, Dr. Sagar’s legacy lives on in both the IP field and through The Sagar School’s thriving community. This post also celebrates the 25th anniversary of The Sagar School, marking another milestone in the school’s journey of excellence.
To commemorate Dr. Sagar’s birth date, let’s dive into a mathematical tribute inspired by this IP legend—a magic square that incorporates his official birthday, December 20, 1925. Here’s how we’ll construct it:
The top row of the square begins with his birthdate details: 20 (day), 12 (month), and 1925 (year), with the latter split into 19 and 25.
The magic square is here:
Few Notable Properties
(a) The sum of the row elements in each row is equal to 76. For example,
20 + 12 + 19 + 25 = 76
26 + 18 + 9 + 23 = 76
10 + 22 + 27 + 17 = 76
20 + 24 + 21 + 11 = 76
(b) The sum of the column elements in each column is equal to 76. For example,
20 + 26 + 10 + 20 = 76
12 + 18 + 22 + 24 = 76
19 + 9 + 27 + 21 = 76
25 + 23 + 17 + 11 = 76
(c) The sum of the diagonal elements is also equal to 76. For example,
25 + 9 + 22 + 20 = 76 (green)
20 + 18 + 27 + 11 = 76 (light blue)
(d) The sum of the corner elements is also equal to 76. For example,
20 + 25 + 11 + 20 = 76
(e) The sums of the numbers in the two sets of like coloured cells are again the same number 76. For example,
12 + 19 + 21 + 24 = 76 (gold)
23 + 17 + 10 + 26 = 76 (purple)
(f) The sums of the numbers in the two sets of like coloured cells are again the same number 76. For example,
12 + 17 + 21 + 26 = 76 (yellow)
19 + 23 + 24 + 10 = 76 (blue)
(g) The sum of the numbers in the four central cells is again 76. For example,
18 + 9 + 27 + 22 = 76
(h) The sums of the numbers in the like-coloured 2 × 2 blocks are all 76. For example,
20 + 12 + 18 + 26 = 76 (light blue)
19 + 25 + 23 + 9 = 76 (orange)
27 + 17 + 11 + 21 = 76 (olive green)
10 + 22 + 24 + 20 = 76 (green)
(i) The sums of the numbers in the like-coloured 2 × 2 blocks are also 76. For example,
26 + 18 + 22 + 10 = 76 (gray)
9 + 23 + 17 + 27 = 76 (lime)
It is easy to see why the above magic observations work on this matrix. Using the same idea as above, you can create another birthday magic square easily. All you need to do is to choose the matrix elements accordingly. In fact, you can build such magic squares for anybody’s date of birth (even yours).
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