CompositeSquares makes these squares.
A composite square of order mn, (m times n), can be made from a square of order m and a square of order n. It contains n² order m magic squares using the numbers 1 to (mn)² The smallest are order-9 from order-3 and order-3. They are made up of 9 order-3 magic squares using the numbers 1 to 81.
The next are order-12, consisting of 16 order-3 or 9 order-4 magic squares, using the numbers 1 to 144.
Different aspects of the same squares make distinct composite squares. For example, 8 distinct order-9 magic squares can be made from the 8 aspects of the Lo Shu:
These composite associative order 9 squares can be converted to ultramagic by swapping rows 2 and 4, 3 and 7, and 6 and 8. This method was received from Paul Michelet.
This method is one of the associative transforms by swapping rows and/or columns. Of the 36,864 transforms of this composite associative square, these 288 are ultramagic, compact3.
Some properties of the order m and order n squares are preserved in the composite square. If the order m square and the order n square are both associative, the composite square is associative. The 3-3Composites and the 4-3Composite above are associative.
The pandiagonal and multimagic properties are also preserved in composite squares.
See associative proof, pandiagonal proof, and bimagic proof.
Each order m sub-square in the composite can also be independently rotated to a different aspect to make a very large number, 8n², of order mn squares.
Craig Knecht's idea of water writing in magic squares is now automated. Just type some text in a file and run program CompositeCalligraphy.
Example: See Pi Are Squared notes.
See notes.
Heinz, Harvey "Composition Magic Square" http://recmath.org/Magic%20Squares/glossary.htm.
Knecht, Craig "Knecht Magic Squares, Craig's 2014 Update" http://www.knechtmagicsquare.paulscomputing.com/Craigs Update 2014.html.
Rouse Ball, W.W. "Other Methods For Constructing Any Magic Square"
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/26839/26839-pdf.pdf, page 134.