CACrown ArchivesThe cinema collection
Menu
Research dossier · General Reference

Hexagonal tortoise problem

mathematical problem

Cross-disciplinary reference desk with index cards, atlas, dictionary and catalogue
General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionJan 18, 2024
Entity authorityQ11272615
Source-derived summary

The hexagonal tortoise problem (Korean: 지수귀문도; Hanja: 地數龜文圖; RR: jisugwimundo) was invented by Korean aristocrat and mathematician Choi Seok-jeong (1646–1715). It is a mathematical problem that involves a hexagonal lattice, like the hexagonal pattern on some tortoises' shells, to the (N) vertices of which must be assigned integers (from 1 to N) in such a way that the sum of all integers at the vertices of each hexagon is the same. The problem has apparent similarities to a magic square although it is a vertex-magic format rather than an edge-magic form or the more typical rows-of-cells form.

His book, Gusuryak, contains many mathematical discoveries.

Editorial summary

“Hexagonal tortoise problem” enters the record as mathematical problem. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Hexagonal, tortoise and problem can confirm, complicate or overturn.

Editorial reviewA concise reference frame for defining the subject, testing terminology and identifying the institution closest to the evidence. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1646, 1715—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. Its strongest next move is a source search built around Hexagonal, tortoise and problem.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

“Hexagonal tortoise problem” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Hexagonal, tortoise and problem provides the most credible route into that argument.

Evidence profile

The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jan 18, 2024. The linked authority identifier is Q11272615. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1646 and 1715.

Critical limits

The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
Verify next

The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Hexagonal tortoise problem”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Hexagonal tortoise problem primary sources, Hexagonal tortoise problem archive and Hexagonal research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Hexagonal tortoise problem”?
  2. Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
  3. What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Subject index

Search terms from this dossier

Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Hexagonal tortoise problem” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.