Japan's 'father of Sudoku' dead at 69Maki Kaji popularised the number puzzle and came up with the name SudokuTOKYO - The man dubbed the "father of Sudoku" for his role in popularising the numerical brainteaser loved by millions, has died of cancer at 69, his Japanese publisher has announced. "Mr Kaji was known as the father of Sudoku and was loved by puzzle fans all around the world," the publisher said in a statement on its website. Sudoku, a sort of numerical crossword, was invented by Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler in the 18th century. The modern version is sometimes said to have been formulated in the United States, but Kaji is credited with having popularised the puzzle. Nikoli spotted a version in an American magazine in the 1980s and brought it to Japan, where Sudoku was born.

Source: Bangkok Post August 17, 2021 04:30 UTC