Sudoku
Combine a crossword puzzle grid, numbers, and logic. The result is Sudoku--a puzzle-craze now sweeping the U.S. that for decades has been popular in Japan. Interestingly, this type of puzzle actually originated in the U.S. when Dell Magazines begain publishing puzzles called 'Number Place' in 1979.
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Sudoku
Sudoku is the Japanese abbreviation for "the digits must remain single." |
The sudoku puzzle murders
Parnell Hall.
New York : Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Minotaur, 2008.
"Cora Felton, the Puzzle Lady (who actually couldn't solve a crossword puzzle to save her life), is surprisingly good at sudoku, so it's no problem when a Japanese publisher asks her to write a sudoku book. But when two Japanese publishers show up in Bakerhaven to vie for her services, Cora is a little confused. Which one did she actually sign with? Which one has the stunning geisha wife? And which one is about to be arrested for murder? The two men are archenemies and will go to great lengths to ace out each other. But would they stoop to murder? Someone is littering the town with sudoku, crossword puzzles, and dead private eyes. It's up to Cora, with the help of her niece, Sherry, to solve the puzzle, the sudoku, and the murder, before the killer strikes again."--BOOK JACKET.
The sudoku murder : a Katie McDonald mystery
Shelley Freydont.
New York : Carroll & Graf ; [Berkeley, Calif.] : Distributed by Publishers Group West, 2007.
Professor P.T. Avondale is found murdered at his desk at the Avondale Puzzle Museum. Katie McDonald, master puzzle-solver, has returned home to save her childhood mentor #8217; s museum from being auctioned off when she learns of the Professor #8217; s death. Now she finds herself curator of the museum and in charge of the Professor #8217; s newest mentee, a fourteen-year-old runaway. Katie is now faced with working to solve the puzzle of the Professor #8217; s murder before a ruthless killer applies his own deadly solution.
Mensa guide to solving sudoku : hundreds of puzzles plus techniques to help you crack them all
Peter Gordon ; puzzles by Frank Longo.
New York : Sterling Pub. Co., c2006.
Here it comes: a revolution in sudoku solving! This is by far the most complete guide to cracking these addictive puzzles ever produced, with tricks even the experts won't know. While most books might have a few pages of introduction before proceeding straight to the sudokus, this one covers it all: hidden pairs, naked pairs, X-wings, jellyfish, squirmbag, bivalue and bilocation graphs, turbot fish, grid coloring, and chains. Every single one is here, and much more too, including the exclusive Gordonian logic methods (Gordonian rectangles and Gordonian polygons) that will turn even the hardest puzzles into a breeze. Of course, there are hundreds of sudoku for practice. A very special addition is a reprint of the very first sudoku ever published in 1979, from "Dell Pencil Puzzles and Word Games" magazine!
How to solve sudoku : a step-by-step guide
Robin Wilson.
New York : Sterling Pub., 2006.
Sudoku, a seriously addictive puzzle, is sweeping the world. It's a phenomenon that's spreading faster than you can count to nine. In How to solve sudoku, mathematician Robin Wilson gives a step-by-step guide to unravelling these sometimes infuriating but always captivating puzzles. There are examples and practice grids for you to hone your skills on before you move on to the next fiendish challenge. So if you're feeling a little grid-locked here are 52 brilliant tried and tested tips and tactics to help you get to grips with sudoku puzzles. Remember, no mathematical skills are needed. It is entirely a test of logic (well, and patience!). Book jacket.
Sudoku rules are simple. Each puzzle is a grid with 81 squares--nine squares by nine squares. Players must enter digits from 1 to 9 intoe each of the blank squares. Every row must contain one of each digit. So must column and every 3x3 square (sometimes called a region).
Puzzles range in difficulty, but each has one and only one solution. Players spend about 10 to 30 minutes solving a puzzle. The strategy for solving a puzzle consists of scanning, marking up, and analyzing.
Sudoku puzzles can be found in books and newspapers and on websites. There are versions for cell phones, handheld devices, and personal computers. Programs can be purchased that create customized puzzles.
Online play is becoming popular with players working alone or as part of a team. Teams compete to complete puzzles in the least amount of time with the fewest mistakes. Scores are recorded and tracked. Times are compared with teams from around the world.
Sudoku puzzles provide challenge and fun, and no math is involved. All you have to know are the numbers 1 to 9. Join the millions who cannot wait to successfully pit their logic and reasoning against against the latest puzzle.
Article by: St. Louis Public Library staff.
