Problem 8.2. The numbers from 1 to 9 were placed in the cells of a $3 \times 3$ table such that the sum of the numbers on one diagonal is 7, and on the other - 21. What is the sum of the numbers in the five shaded cells?

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Answer: 25.

Solution. Note that 7 can be represented uniquely as the sum of numbers from 1 to 9 - this is $1+2+4=7$.

Let's look at the other diagonal with a sum of 21. The largest possible value of the sum in it is $9+8+4=21$ (since the number in the central cell is no more than 4). Therefore, it must contain the numbers $9,8,4$.

Thus, the number 4 is in the central cell, and the numbers 1, 2, 8, and 9 are at the corners. Now it is not difficult to find the sum of the numbers in the shaded cells: $3+4+5+6+7=25$.