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The Great History of Sudoku

Sudoku is one of the most popular types of logic puzzles in the world. However, it is not something that is new. The history of sudoku is still evolving right now, and the game is actually one that was inspired by classic means of thinking.

 

The reason as to why sudoku was formed was practically the same as that of other forms of logic puzzles over history. The game is one that is used for helping to challenge the mind, especially since modern technology is not completely able to do that. They also help with critical thinking in that they work to test one's ability to tell relationships between numbers in a set.

The development of sudoku began in the 1970s. It was first developed by former architect and freelance puzzle designer Howard Garns. His concept came from the Latin Square, which was designed by Euler in ancient times. He used some alterations in that the game is now able to work in the third dimension. He also figured that in order to get the puzzle to be completed a few numbers would be filled in. The main catch would be that all nine numbers can only be used once in a row, column or 3x3 box.

In the late 1970s the game began to appear in magazines in the United States, but it became especially popular in Japan. The term sudoku was created, which is translated into “the digits must remain single.” A person known as Nikoli in Japan caught interest in the game and introduced it in Japan during this time.

In 1989 a computer version of sudoku came for users of the Loadstar Publishing program. The Apple Macintosh would use this game in the near future. However, the Rubik's cube, a popular toy of the 1980s, was a major factor in the development of sudoku in that decade. That's because some characteristics of sudoku are similar to the patterns of reasoning used in the Rubik's cube.

In 1997 Hong Kong judge Wayne Gould created his own computerized version of sudoku, and eventually more newspapers around Asia began to carry daily sudoku puzzles, making this even more popular among logic puzzles.

In 2005 sudoku came to its top level of popularity, as more newspapers and publications in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia began to use sudoku puzzles. Many major papers, including USA Today, and even smaller newspapers like the Evansville Courier-Press have been using sudoku now, and print publications with sudoku games have become popular in game sections of bookstores. More puzzle magazines are devoted special productions to the game as well.

The history of sudoku is still evolving, and the development of sudoku will definitely continue as it becomes more popular. This is indeed one of the hottest logic puzzles in the world and has become an international sensation that is here to stay.

Mathematicians: You must have at least 17 clues to solve Sudoku - Boing Boing


Mathematicians: You must have at least 17 clues to solve Sudoku
Boing Boing
By Maggie Koerth-Baker at 10:56 am Monday, Feb 6 A recent mathematics study showed that you have to have at least 17 clues on a Sudoku grid in order for the puzzle to be solvable. You could make the game easier, by adding more clues.

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Study: Got Angry Birds on the brain? You might be better off that way - Games.com News (blog)


Study: Got Angry Birds on the brain? You might be better off that way
Games.com News (blog)
The study doesn't mention any games in specific, but University of California-Berkeley researcher and study author Dr. Susan Landau told ABC News that game playing can range from Sudoku to Angry Birds and more. The study observed the presence of a ...

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Sudoku Magic: Endless puzzles await - USA TODAY (blog)


USA TODAY (blog)

Sudoku Magic: Endless puzzles await
USA TODAY (blog)
By Marc Saltzman, USA TODAY Sudoku games are a dime a dozen at the App Store, so fans of the popular Japanese number puzzles have no shortage of options for the iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. But one called Sudoku Magic might give you more bang for your ...

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The Numbers Game - Wall Street Journal


Wall Street Journal

The Numbers Game
Wall Street Journal
As one commentator, Jean-Paul Delahaye, observed in Scientific American: "Despite being a game of numbers, Sudoku demands not an iota of mathematics of its solvers. In fact, no operation—including addition or multiplication—helps in completing a grid ...

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Brain Games May Help Thwart Alzheimer's: Study - ABC News (blog)


ABC News (blog)

Brain Games May Help Thwart Alzheimer's: Study
ABC News (blog)
You may want to finish that game of Sudoku before you read this. Researchers behind a study in this week's Archives of Neurology say they have a found a link between “brain-stimulating activities” and levels of protein thought to cause Alzheimer's ...
Could puzzles prevent Alzheimer's disease?AOL Lifestyle UK

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