International Perspective: Beyond Su Doku
John Sharp · Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School · 2006
The current craze for su doku puzzles, which seem to be in most UK newspapers as well as numerous puzzle books, is a small subset of a much more interesting puzzle with a long history in recreational mathematics. What I find puzzling about Su Doku is why, with so many further possibilities, the puzzles seem so stuck in a rut. At least with crosswords there are many interesting variations on the clues. In looking at the history of the puzzle, I hope someone will devise new, more cunning ones.