Algorithm for Construction of a Magic Square

Magic square is a mathematical puzzle that has drawn attention of the mathematicians since the days of yore. It is a square in which the sum of numbers along each row, each column and each diagonal is equal. There is a definite mathematical formula to calculate the sum of such numbers in a magic square. A magic square can be formed with a set of numbers belonging to an AP series. In the present article, the history of magic squares and three different rules for construction of a magic square are discussed with illustrations. An application of magic square is also discussed at the end.