Is it possible to solve for Y using information from the following problems:

Question

 

A + 30= Y

B + 28= Y

C + 26= Y

D + 32 = Y

 

 

I'm writing a book (i.e. I'm not great at math) and my protagonist must solve a riddle. The riddle is a Magic Square, where some (four) of the numbers in the grid are missing. If you are not familiar with what a magic square is, it's a form of recreational math that dates back to the sixth century B.C.E. Imagine a 16-square grid filled with numbers where each row, column, and diagonal equals the same number when added together. For example:

 

A   14    15   1
9    7     B     12
5    11   10    C
16   D    3    13

 

If our protagonist can figure out what Y equals, he can easily figure out the missing numbers through simple algebra. I've simplified the problem above by adding the rows and columns together. Also, no two numbers are ever repeated in a magic square. Not sure if that helps. 

 

How dead is my protagonist?

 

 

Answer 1

you want Y to be equal to 34

A=4, B=6, C=8, and D=2

 

4  14  15  1

9   7   6  12

5  11  10  8

16  2   3  13