A prime reciprocal magic square is a magic square

Magic square

In recreational mathematics, a magic square of order n is an arrangement of n2 numbers, usually distinct integers, in a square, such that the n numbers in all rows, all columns, and both diagonals sum to the same constant. A normal magic square contains the integers from 1 to n2...

 using the decimal digits of the reciprocal of a prime number

Prime number

A prime number is a natural number greater than 1 that has no positive divisors other than 1 and itself. A natural number greater than 1 that is not a prime number is called a composite number. For example 5 is prime, as only 1 and 5 divide it, whereas 6 is composite, since it has the divisors 2...

.

Consider a number

Number

A number is a mathematical object used to count and measure. In mathematics, the definition of number has been extended over the years to include such numbers as zero, negative numbers, rational numbers, irrational numbers, and complex numbers....

 divided into one, like 1/3 or 1/7. In base ten, the remainder, and so the digits, of 1/3 repeats at once: 0·3333... However, the remainders of 1/7 repeat over six, or 7-1, digits: 1/7 = 0·142857142857142857... If you examine the multiples of 1/7, you can see that each is a cyclic permutation

Cyclic permutation

A cyclic permutation or circular permutation is a permutation built from one or more sets of elements in cyclic order.The notion "cyclic permutation" is used in different, but related ways:- Definition 1 :right|mapping of permutation...

 of these six digits:

1/7 = 0·1 4 2 8 5 7...
2/7 = 0·2 8 5 7 1 4...
3/7 = 0·4 2 8 5 7 1...
4/7 = 0·5 7 1 4 2 8...
5/7 = 0·7 1 4 2 8 5...
6/7 = 0·8 5 7 1 4 2...

If the digits are laid out as a square, it is obvious that each row will sum to 1+4+2+8+5+7, or 27, and only slightly less obvious that each column will also do so, and consequently we have a magic square:

1 4 2 8 5 7
2 8 5 7 1 4
4 2 8 5 7 1
5 7 1 4 2 8
7 1 4 2 8 5
8 5 7 1 4 2

However, neither diagonal sums to 27, but all other prime reciprocals in base ten with maximum period of p-1 produce squares in which all rows and columns sum to the same total.

Other properties of Prime Reciprocals: Midy's theorem

Midy's theorem

In mathematics, Midy's theorem, named after French mathematician E. Midy, is a statement about the decimal expansion of fractions a/p where p is a prime and a/p has a repeating decimal expansion with an even period...

The repeating pattern of an even number of digits [7-1, 11-1, 13-1, 17-1, 19-1, 29-1, ...] in the quotients when broken in half are the nines-complement of each half:

1/7 = 0.142,857,142,857 ...
+0.857,142
---------
0.999,999

1/11 = 0.09090,90909 ...
+0.90909,09090
-----
0.99999,99999

1/13 = 0.076,923 076,923 ...
+0.923,076
---------
0.999,999

1/17 = 0.05882352,94117647
+0.94117647,05882352
-------------------
0.99999999,99999999

1/19 = 0.052631578,947368421 ...
+0.947368421,052631578
----------------------
0.999999999,999999999

Ekidhikena Purvena From: Bharati Krishna Tirtha's Vedic mathematics#By one more than the one before

Concerning the number of decimal places shifted in the quotient per multiple of 1/19:

01/19 = 0.052631578,947368421
02/19 = 0.1052631578,94736842
04/19 = 0.21052631578,9473684
08/19 = 0.421052631578,947368
16/19 = 0.8421052631578,94736

A factor of 2 in the numerator produces a shift of one decimal place to the right in the quotient.

In the square from 1/19, with maximum period 18 and row-and-column total of 81,
both diagonals also sum to 81, and this square is therefore fully magic:

01/19 = 0·0 5 2 6 3 1 5 7 8 9 4 7 3 6 8 4 2 1...
02/19 = 0·1 0 5 2 6 3 1 5 7 8 9 4 7 3 6 8 4 2...
03/19 = 0·1 5 7 8 9 4 7 3 6 8 4 2 1 0 5 2 6 3...
04/19 = 0·2 1 0 5 2 6 3 1 5 7 8 9 4 7 3 6 8 4...
05/19 = 0·2 6 3 1 5 7 8 9 4 7 3 6 8 4 2 1 0 5...
06/19 = 0·3 1 5 7 8 9 4 7 3 6 8 4 2 1 0 5 2 6...
07/19 = 0·3 6 8 4 2 1 0 5 2 6 3 1 5 7 8 9 4 7...
08/19 = 0·4 2 1 0 5 2 6 3 1 5 7 8 9 4 7 3 6 8...
09/19 = 0·4 7 3 6 8 4 2 1 0 5 2 6 3 1 5 7 8 9...
10/19 = 0·5 2 6 3 1 5 7 8 9 4 7 3 6 8 4 2 1 0...
11/19 = 0·5 7 8 9 4 7 3 6 8 4 2 1 0 5 2 6 3 1...
12/19 = 0·6 3 1 5 7 8 9 4 7 3 6 8 4 2 1 0 5 2...
13/19 = 0·6 8 4 2 1 0 5 2 6 3 1 5 7 8 9 4 7 3...
14/19 = 0·7 3 6 8 4 2 1 0 5 2 6 3 1 5 7 8 9 4...
15/19 = 0·7 8 9 4 7 3 6 8 4 2 1 0 5 2 6 3 1 5...
16/19 = 0·8 4 2 1 0 5 2 6 3 1 5 7 8 9 4 7 3 6...
17/19 = 0·8 9 4 7 3 6 8 4 2 1 0 5 2 6 3 1 5 7...
18/19 = 0·9 4 7 3 6 8 4 2 1 0 5 2 6 3 1 5 7 8...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/MgkSqr_1_over_19_Deva.tif

The same phenomenon occurs with other primes in other bases, and the following table lists some of them, giving the prime, base, and magic total (derived from the formula base-1 x prime-1 / 2):

Prime	| Base	| Total
19	10	81
53	12	286
53	34	858
59	2	29
67	2	33
83	2	41
89	19	792
167	68	5,561
199	41	3,960
199	150	14,751
211	2	105
223	3	222
293	147	21,316
307	5	612
383	10	1,719
389	360	69,646
397	5	792
421	338	70,770
487	6	1,215
503	420	105,169
587	368	107,531
593	3	592
631	87	27,090
677	407	137,228
757	759	286,524
787	13	4,716
811	3	810
977	1,222	595,848
1,033	11	5,160
1,187	135	79,462
1,307	5	2,612
1,499	11	7,490
1,877	19	16,884
1,933	146	140,070
2,011	26	25,125
2,027	2	1,013
2,141	63	66,340
2,539	2	1,269
3,187	97	152,928
3,373	11	16,860
3,659	126	228,625
3,947	35	67,082
4,261	2	2,130
4,813	2	2,406
5,647	75	208,902
6,113	3	6,112
6,277	2	3,138
7,283	2	3,641
8,387	2	4,193