| Hailed as the Rubik's Cube of the 21st century, Sudoku | | | | imposed conditions on the value of his number |
| is the current rage among number puzzles. It may | | | | variables to bring about the creation of his magic |
| sound surreal but at an age where bubblegum pop | | | | square. His magic square evolved into the Latin square |
| music has successfully reinvented itself as punk rock | | | | in his later papers. |
| through the likes of Avril Lavigne and Simple Plan, a | | | | The versions of Gerns and the team of puzzlers differ |
| puzzle and a number puzzle at that is able to establish | | | | from Euler in two ways: First, Euler's Latin square does |
| itself as a global phenomenon. Sudoku, which is | | | | not have a regional restriction; and Second, Euler |
| sometimes spelled as Su Doku, is pronounced as | | | | neither created nor did he intend to create a puzzle. |
| soo-doe-koo. It is an abbreviation of the Japanese | | | | On the other hand, Gerns and the team saw the |
| phrase suuji wa dokushin ni kagiru which means the | | | | potential of a hit puzzle in Euler's works and |
| digits must remain single. Most people are under the | | | | proceeded to create the grandfather of modern day |
| wrong impression that sudoku is of Japanese origin | | | | sudoki with this specific frame of mind. No Fool's Gould |
| when the only thing Japanese about sudoku is the | | | | Wayne Gould, a retired judge based in Hong Kong, |
| word sudoku. | | | | chanced upon a sudoku puzzle in a Tokyo bookstore |
| Nikoli Publishing House Nikoli is the publisher of the | | | | in 1997; Gould could not help but gravitate towards the |
| leading Japanese puzzle publication Monthly Nikolist. | | | | blank squares of the puzzle. He felt compelled to |
| The think tanks of Nikoli noticed an interesting number | | | | create a digital version of the puzzle and worked on |
| puzzle called The Number Place published by their | | | | the sudoku computer program from 1997 to 2003. |
| American counterparts, Dell Puzzle Magazines. Sudoku | | | | In 2004, he found himself pitching an unknown puzzle |
| made its debut on the pages of Monthly Nikolist in April | | | | called Su Doku to The Times of Britain. The results |
| of the year 1984. It was initially christened Suuji wa | | | | were overwhelming; within a few days, other |
| dokushin ni kagiru by Kaji Maki, Nikoli's incumbent | | | | newspapers began printing their own versions of the |
| president at that time. The maiden issue of Sudoku | | | | game. The popularity of the game snowballed and |
| enjoyed modest success. Its success is due in large | | | | spilled over to Australia and New Zealand. By 2005, it |
| part to the fact that the Japanese people are | | | | had earned the moniker the fastest growing puzzle in |
| inherently puzzle-crazy. | | | | the world. What Goes Around, Comes Around |
| It was not until two significant developments occurred | | | | American newspapers caught wind of the sensation |
| that the puzzle began to really catch fire. First, the | | | | created by sudoku in Britain and the rest of the world, |
| name suuji wa dokushin ni kagiru was shortened to | | | | and found themselves jumping on the sudoku |
| sudoku which was easier to remember and to market. | | | | bandwagon. The New York Post published its own |
| Second, Nikoli modified the game by introducing two | | | | version of sudoku in April of 2005; this marked the |
| new rules in 1986: the digits of are to be arranged | | | | homecoming and belated public acceptance of a New |
| symmetrically; and the given numbers are not to | | | | York native who went unnoticed in its own backyard |
| exceed 30 digits. As of today, there are at least five | | | | since its birth for more than 20 years. |
| publishing companies that print monthly magazines | | | | Within a few days sudoku made its presence felt |
| solely devoted to the game in Japan. Sudoku is, for all | | | | throughout the country when major dailies such as |
| intents and purposes, a brand name; it is not the | | | | USA Today and The Daily News began replacing their |
| generic name of the game. It is a lawfully registered | | | | usual crosswords with the number game. The appeal |
| mark of the Nikoli Company in Japan. This means that | | | | of modern sudoku appears to be infinite and without |
| the other publishers of the game in Japan are legally | | | | boundaries. As a number puzzle, it does not make use |
| obligated to provide their own brand names for their | | | | of letters from any particular language; thus easily |
| versions of the popular number puzzle. | | | | dispensing with the language barrier factor. Publications |
| Made in Manhattan According to urban legends, | | | | numbering in hundreds of thousands, from magazines |
| sudoku was created by a team of puzzle creators | | | | to newspapers and digests, solely devoted to the |
| from New York. Another version of the story credits a | | | | game are testaments to the puzzle's popularity and |
| certain Howard Gerns, a retired architect and puzzle | | | | profitability. The numerous websites that offer digital |
| enthusiast, as the true father of the modern sudoku. | | | | versions of the game, for free or for fee, guarantees |
| Although the legends conflict and give credit to | | | | the game's continuous development and improvement; |
| different inventors, they coincide on two important | | | | it also provides a platform most accessible to the |
| details: | | | | younger population. |
| Sudoku was first published in 1979 by Dell Puzzle | | | | Sudoku has even gone mobile as companies race to |
| Magazines under the title The Number Place; and | | | | create sudoku games specifically for mobile phone |
| Gerns and the team of puzzle creators were both | | | | users. Sudoku is a game of logic that challenges the |
| inspired by the Latin Square of Leonhard Euler. Sudoku: | | | | young and old alike. In fact, studies on the mental |
| The Old Testament Leonhard Euler, a Swiss | | | | benefits of regularly playing sudoku have been |
| mathematician, presented a paper entitled De | | | | conducted; and the results have been positive so far. |
| Quadratis Magicis before the St. Petersburg Academy | | | | From the fastest growing puzzle in the world, sudoku |
| in 1776. Euler demonstrated that a magic square can | | | | has evolved into the most contagious puzzle virus the |
| be created through the use of 9, 16, 25 or 36 cells. He | | | | world has seen in years. Go and play sudoku. |