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From satellites to the London Olympics, all in one career

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Discover why the number 6174 is so mysterious.

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September 2008
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magic trick

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Until you understand the basics of functions and algebra, the thought that a number can be predicted is a surprising one. And of course `magic' and `being surprised' are often the same thing. Rob Eastaway shows us how mathemagicians trade off the fact that you can usually predict precisely the outcome of doing something in mathematics, but only if you know the secret beforehand.

Tags: magic trick : repunits : magic square