Legacy of the Luoshu: The Mystical, Mathematical Meaning of the Magic Square of Order Three [Paperback]

Frank J. Swetz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 9, 2001

This book is the first study of the magic square, or Luoshu, as a cultural artifact and spiritual symbol as well as mathematical expression. A magic square is an arrangement of numbers (with no number duplicated) where the rows, columns, and two main diagonals add up to the same number, the magic constant. Originally devised by the ancient Chinese, who viewed it as a symbol of metaphysical and spiritual harmony, the magic square was brought to the West by Arab traders. In Legacy of the Luoshu, the author examines how various people in diverse societies have been drawn to the impressive regularity of number patterns and how cultural beliefs can be expressed through the symbolism of numbers. This is an entertaining read for anyone interested in popular mathematics and finding similarities of beliefs and symbols across cultures.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a convincing account of magic squares in traditional Chinese society,...their relevance to music, architecture, and even martial arts." -- Paul R. Goldin, author

"An engaging and informative history of the magic square. A must for anyone who loves numbers." -- Ian Stewart, author

About the Author

Frank Swetz, professor emeritus of mathematics and education at Pennsylvania State University, taught mathematics with the Peace Corps in Malaysia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Open Court Publishing Company (November 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812694481
• ISBN-13: 978-0812694482
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,016,769 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Much of my research and writing focuses on clarifyingg and answering the questions of'Why?' and 'How?' mathematics came into being and is used by society. This quest of attempting to understand societal impact on mathematics has led me to explore the history of mathematics, ethnomathematics and the subject of problem solving. My books are journals of my findings and conclusions.They are written to share my understandings with a wider audience.I am a firm believer that the teaching of mathematics, at all levels, should reflect the human involvement with the subject.Hopefully,some of my reading audience will be convinced to continue and extend this quest of understanding the associations of mathematics with human society.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well Researched Yet Fun to Read, April 22, 2002

By 

"xuankong" (Santa Monica, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Legacy of the Luoshu: The Mystical, Mathematical Meaning of the Magic Square of Order Three (Paperback)

The Legacy of the Luoshu covers the story of the luoshu in China, both in legend and using historical sources. It tells how the luoshu and the magic square came to the attention of the West in the 17th century. The book explains uses of the luoshu in traditional Chinese culture, and also examines the use of the luoshu in other cultures, including Greece, India, Tibet, Japan, and the Islamic world. This book explains the mathematics of magic squares and how they are derived.

The Legacy of the Luoshu is 214 pages with many diagrams and illustrations. This includes some beautiful drawings from old Chinese books.

The author, Frank Swetz, is a professor of mathematics, who has written many other books, including others on Chinese mathematics. Even though he is a mathematician, his writing is very readible. The book has extensive footnotes, yet does not seem stuffy at all. In fact, you can feel the authors excitement as he discovers new details about the history of the luoshu. The author has a good grasp of Chinese culture, without any feeling of condesention.

If you are curious about history and how things work, this is a wonderful book! The first four chapters were fascinating; I just wanted to lie in bed and read them. The later half of the book is a great resource to which I will refer, although the subjects were less focused on my specific areas of interest.

If you enjoy learning about the intellectual and spiritual pursuits of classical Chinese culture, you will love this book. Overall, this is a very well researched book that is serious, yet fun to read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars History of the first magic square, May 19, 2003

By 

Boyer Christian (Enghien les Bains France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Legacy of the Luoshu: The Mystical, Mathematical Meaning of the Magic Square of Order Three (Paperback)

If you are interested by magic squares and their history, then you will be interested by this book.
It describes with a lot of nice illustrations the history of the first known magic square 3x3, constructed by the Chinese, a very very long time ago.
Well documented book, with probably long hours of research done by the author.
New valuable information, never published before.
I wish a great success to this new Swetz's book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Legacy of the Luoshu, August 4, 2003

By 

James F. Kiernan (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Legacy of the Luoshu: The Mystical, Mathematical Meaning of the Magic Square of Order Three (Paperback)

Frank Swetz has done it again. In plain language he has given
the best description of the luoshu magic square that I have read.
The first half of his book is a detailed explanation of
how the magic square is an outgrowth of Chinese philosophy. Swetz very carefully explains the connection of the square
to the concepts of Yin/Yang, I Ching and Feng Shui. One can easily understand the cultural and mystical significance of
the square and its relation to cosmology and astrology.The
book contains excellent diagrams which are well documented
and copious endnotes.
The third quarter of the book gives an decent explanation
of why the square was not first developed in Europe. The
last quarter of the book discusses various miscellana about
the luoshu magic square. In all the Legacy of the Luoshu is
a fascinating read and a must for anyone who would care to
give a detailed explanation of its meaning.