Sudoku Puzzler

Numbers are hypothetical values processed in our mind when we use to quantify things. The magnitude of a number is called as a numeral, which denotes the number in both its idea and quantity. Numbers are used to measure things, record count, indicate sizes and extents, compare values, store content, chart statistics, secure passwords, communicate information and encrypt data. They were found to be used as early as 30000 years ago and Egyptian and Mesopotomian civilizations have secure records in the form of writing tablets and clay slates. Man also used numbers to play games and amuse himself. We understand that he was more interested to whet his quantitative approach and replenish his skills, than gratifying himself by the useful little sense obtained by just using them to denote and save track. Haven't we come across infants playing abacus, a testimonial to the fact that man enjoyed being with numbers and took them game.

In perhaps what has been the most-creative-irrefutable-logic-yet-so simple-puzzle ever perceived, Sudoku stands handsomely tall and smart among myriad innumerable number-games. Its speciality and flair arises from the truth that it's pleasingly simple but tantalizingly draining nonetheless. Though it became an international only in the last few years, the concept was found long back.

To start off, Sudoku is a number placement based game accompanied with logic. Noted mathematician Leonard Euler invented a class of game called Latin Squares which required the player to complete every row and column of a NXN grid with numbers 1 through N, without repeating. In the daily newspaper Sudoku, one has to fill in a 9X9 matrix in such a way that every row, every column and every 3X3 matrix in the entire grid contains numbers 1 to 9 only once. This game was first seen in Dell Magazines in the year 1979, when American architect Howard Garns published them as a puzzle called "Number Place". However, the name Sudoku was given by Nikoli when it was introduced in Japan later. In Japanese, 'Su Doku' means 'Single Number'. A retired judge and computer programmer from Hong Kong, Wayne Gould developed a computer program which could generate and solve Sudoku puzzles. A few years ago, he requested to publish his sudokus in London Times, which went on to prove a big hit.

For someone who's keen to know about the statistics, here's an interesting piece of information. The number of possible 9X9 Sudoku combinations is 6,670,903,752,021,072,936,960. Now, can I imagine someone finishing on that count? He would do that entire lifetime and still fall short!

In India, the very first Sudoku was published in May 2005, in Hindustan Times and a month later, Times of India too started rolling out its version. Initially, it was seen as an enigma for people well nurtured with mathematics only, but later, many kids, students and even the elderly began growing hungry. Logic being the only thing involved, it has nothing to do with mathematics or operations. All it takes is a little enough brainwork to give a feeling of satisfaction when the puzzle is complete, taking less time and skill that required to solve a crossword, for instance. Perhaps this was the prominent reason which made people prefer sudoku over crossword, although these require two entirely different sets of skill and knowledge.

The exercise of solving Sudoku puzzles has got its own advantages. It stops memory decline, improves logic, enhances reasoning skills, allows us to think in multiple ways and even halt the progress of Alzheimer's disease. Now that is something that the doctor does not ask. In schools, kids are being taught to solve sudoku to energize their mental batteries and increase the flow of thoughts, which enables them to perform better at studies. The initial fluster notwithstanding, they come up with good reasoning and solve their way to happiness. And one can imagine the sense of a little victory over a tiny yet thinking puzzle.

Next time when you come across a Sudoku when you're free, try solving it. Your brains will thank you for your time and letting it sharpen. It still is a short-simple game, after all.....