Question 1

The numbers 1, 2, ..., 9 are arranged in a 3 X 3 square grid in such a way that each number occurs once and the entries along each column, each row, and each of the two diagonals add up to the same value.

If the top left and the top right entries of the grid are 6 and 2, respectively, then the bottom middle entry is


Correct Answer: 3

Solution

According to the question each column, each row, and each of the two diagonals of the 3X3 matrix add up to the same value. This value must be 15.

Let us consider the matrix as shown below: 

Now we'll try substituting values from 1 to 9 in the exact middle grid shown as 'x'.

If x = 1 or 3, then the value in the left bottom grid will be more than 9 which is not possible.

x cannot be equal to 2.

If x = 4, value in the left bottom grid will be 9. But then addition of first column will come out to be more than 15. Hence, not possible.

If x=5, we get the grid as shown below:

Hence, for x = 5 all conditions are satisfied. We see that the bottom middle entry is 3. 

Hence, 3 is the correct answer. 

Video Solution

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