Lovatts Publications - Christine Lovatt's Monthly Hello Column

Christine's Hello Column

july 2006

Hello!

One question I am often asked is where did Sudoku really come from? It has variously been claimed as belonging to Italy, Switzerland, France, USA and Japan.

It has certainly evolved from its early start as a magic square, which existed in ancient times. It was taken from one civilisation to another and adapted slightly so that it really is a work of many masters.

It is appropriate that it has a Japanese name however, because the popularity of Sudoku is reminiscent of a math craze that swept the islands centuries ago, when ardent enthusiasts went so far as to turn the most beautiful geometrical solutions into finely illustrated wooden tablets, called sangaku, that adorned the walls of local temples and shrines.

This was at a time when Japan was almost completely cut off from the rest of the world, and the country’s scholars were obliged to invent a home-grown branch of mathematics to help them. When Japan opened itself to the world again, the puzzles — and the geometry that helped solve them — fell nearly into oblivion. The craze lasted for about 250 years.

Which leads me to the other question I am asked even more often - how long will Sudoku last? Is it just a passing fad? It’s sometimes compared to Rubik’s Cube, which swept the world in the early 80s. It became the fastest-selling toy in the world, amusing five-year-olds and inspiring mathematicians. It was blamed for divorces. There were imitations, songs, and a plastic hammer called the Cube Smasher to break it to pieces when you’d had enough.

But Sudoku seems to have a longer lifespan. Many people believe it hasn’t reached its peak yet. The word Sudoku has become a verb already, as you can see from this quote from the SMH newspaper –

“Hard-core devotees use every spare minute "Sudokuing", and many admit they are addicted”.

I think Sudoku is going to be around for a long time. As well as enjoying the straight Sudoku, you can sample our Sudoku variations – let us know which ones you prefer.

Happy Sudokuing!

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