French magic numbers
In a magic square the sums of each row, column and major diagonal are equal. There is a remarkable relationship between the two magic squares shown here. Each integer in the one on the left when written as a word in English contains the number of letters indicated by the corresponding integer in the one on the right: 鈥渢wenty-five鈥� has 10 letters, 鈥渆ight鈥� has five letters, and so on.
I wondered whether I could create a new magic square on the left such that every integer in it when written as a word in French contains the number of letters indicated by the corresponding integer in the square that we already have on the right. It isn鈥檛 possible to do this, but I have created a new square in which seven of the integers fulfil this requirement and the other two are each just one letter short of the number of letters required.
As in the English example, all the integers in my new square are considerably less than 100. Please submit my new square.
Advertisement
WIN 拢15 will be awarded to the sender of the first correct answer opened on Wednesday 12 January 2011. The Editor鈥檚 decision is final. Please send entries to Enigma 1624, 快猫短视频, Lacon House, 84 Theobald鈥檚 Road, London WC1X 8NS, or to enigma@newscientist.com (please include your postal address).
Answer to 1618 No common factors: the three-digit number is 129
The winner Bernard Cammack of Raumati South, New Zealand
