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For a question that I need to answer, we have to show that there is only one arrangement for which, in a $3\times 3$ grid in which the numbers from $1$ to $9$ are placed and $5$ is the centre number, the sum of the $4$ numbers in every $2\times 2$ grid found within the $3\times 3$ grid all add up to the same number. I have found the answer, which is a grid with the numbers as follows:

\begin{aligned} &1&8&&3\\\\ &6&5&&4\\\\ &7&2&&9 \end{aligned}

I don't know why this is the only option (except for rotations and reflections). Does anyone know why this is true?

PinkyWay
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The four sums being equal yields four linear equations; for the grid $$\begin{matrix}a&b&c\\d&5&e\\f&g&h\end{matrix},$$ with $\{a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h\}=\{1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9\}$ you get the equations \begin{eqnarray*} a+b+d+5&=&x,\\ b+c+5+e&=&x,\\ d+5+f+g&=&x,\\ 5+e+g+h&=&x. \end{eqnarray*} First note that $a+b+c+d+e+f+g+h=40$. Summing the first and fourth equations above, as well as the second and third, then shows that $$2x=a+b+d+e+g+h+10=(40-c-f)+10=50-c-f,$$ $$2x=b+c+d+e+f+g+10=(40-a-h)+10=50-a-h,$$ so opposite corners are congruent mod $2$, i.e. each opposite pair is either both even or both odd. Summing all four squares together yields the sum $$4x=a+c+f+h+2(b+d+e+g)+20=60+b+d+e+g,$$ which in turn shows that $$b+d+e+g\equiv0\pmod{4},$$ and because $a+b+c+d+e+f+g+h=40$ also $$a+c+f+h\equiv0\pmod{4}.$$ The latter shows that the corners are either all even or all odd. From here, let's simply see how far this restricts the square.

If $a$, $c$, $f$ and $h$ are all even, then $b$, $d$, $e$ and $g$ are all odd. Rotating and reflecting the square if necessary we get $b<d,e,g$ and $d<e$. Because $\{b,d,e,g\}=\{1,3,7,9\}$ we have $$\begin{matrix}a&1&c\\3&5&7\\f&9&h\end{matrix} \qquad\text{ or }\qquad \begin{matrix}a&1&c\\3&5&9\\f&7&h\end{matrix} \qquad\text{ or }\qquad \begin{matrix}a&1&c\\7&5&9\\f&3&h\end{matrix}.$$ In the first two cases, from the top left square and the bottom right square we have $$a+1+3+5=5+7+9+h,$$ and so $a=h+12$, which is of course impossible. For the latter case we have $$1+c+5+9=x=7+5+f+3,$$ and so $c=f$, a contradiction.

Hence $a$, $c$, $f$ and $h$ must be all odd. Then $b$, $d$, $e$ and $g$ are all even, and again after rotating and reflecting if necessary, we have one of $$\begin{matrix}a&2&c\\4&5&6\\f&8&h\end{matrix} \qquad\text{ or }\qquad \begin{matrix}a&2&c\\4&5&8\\f&6&h\end{matrix} \qquad\text{ or }\qquad \begin{matrix}a&2&c\\6&5&8\\f&4&h\end{matrix}.$$ In the latter two cases, comparing the top right square and the bottom left square shows that $$2+c+5+8=4+5+f+6,$$ and hence that $c=f$, a contradiction. Then we are left only with the first case, and comparing the top left square and the bottom right square shows that $$a+2+4+5=5+6+8+h,$$ and so $a=h+8$. Then $a=1$ and $h=9$, and it quickly follows that $c=7$ and $f=3$, yielding $$\begin{matrix}9&2&7\\4&5&6\\3&8&1\end{matrix}$$

Servaes
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    How is 'The latter shows that the corners are either all even or all odd.'? What about $3,4,7,6$? – JMP Mar 25 '20 at 12:59