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History
Historians haven’t really made up their minds about the true origins of the Sudoku game. Even if the Sudoku we know now is actually a very recent form of the game, it’s very hard to trace the number games from which Sudoku is thought do have developed (derived) back into the mists of time.
Well, I can bet that Sudoku indeed has a long and interesting history. While waiting for historians to completely uncover its secrets I can present to you some of their best theories.
All of them agree that Sudoku has deep roots in “old” number-puzzles which have maintained their popularity throughout centuries. It seems that people have always had a huge interest in working out the solution to different kinds of puzzles (thus, forming the basis of modern science and mathematics).
One of the theories regarding the origins of the game strongly relates it to the well-known Magic Squares. These squares apparently came from ancient China, and they were transmitted to the Arabs (through India) sometimes during the eighth century. Thus, the first written records about The Magic squares are provided to us by a group of scholars from Arabia, although the constructive methods of the squares don’t seem to have appeared until 1225, when Ahmed al-Buni showed how to construct them (some say that he was… inspired by some ancient Persian manuscripts).
But Sudoku’s closest “relatives” are the Latin Squares developed by Euler (the famous mathematician). So, even if the game’s name originates from Japan, Sudoku doesn’t. From Latin Squares to the Number Place game (“invented” by Garns) there was just a tiny step, which unfortunately took mankind several decades to make.
Finally the first Sudoku puzzle, marked in the strictest sense of the word (meaning the one which most resembles the game we now have become familiar with) has recently appeared in Nikoli magazine (Japan).
From here it has speeded world wide, in different continents, in different countries. It has gained more fans that Euler or even Garns would have ever imagined, becoming in a relatively short period of time one of the most popular puzzles ever. I must admit, I am a Sudoku fan and I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in having lots of fun while making something stimulating. It’s all about logics folk, which makes it suitable both for adults and for the little ones. Enjoy! (I know I did) …