What Is Kakuro (Cross Sums) - Solving Kakuro Puzzles
Mathematics of Kakuro - Kakuro Variations - Links
Like Kakuro? Try Sudoku!

Kakuro Puzzles Information

The Cross Sums is a very common type of logic puzzle that is often referred to as a mathematical transliteration of the crossword. In principle, Cross Sums puzzles are integer programming problems, and can be solved using matrix techniques, although they are typically solved by hand. Cross Sums are regular features in most, if not all, math-and-logic puzzle publications in the United States; Dell Magazines uses the Cross Sums name, which was formerly unique to them but is now in common use among various publishers (although some other names, such as Cross Addition, are still used). In Japan, where the puzzle is called Kakuro, its popularity is immense, second only to Sudoku among Nikoli's famed logic-puzzle offerings; in an international tapdance, Kappa reprints Nikoli Kakro in the United States, in GAMES Magazine under the name Cross Sums. The Guardian in Britain began printing the puzzle under the name Kakuro in September 2005; since then many other British papers have followed suit and now also print daily puzzles.

A Kakuro (Cross Sums) Puzzle

Kakuro Differs from Sudoku

Sudoku, also known as Number Place, is a logic-based placement puzzle. The aim of the puzzle is to enter a numerical digit from 1 through 9 in each cell of a 9×9 grid made up of 3×3 subgrids (called "regions"), starting with various digits given in some cells (the "givens"); each row, column, and region must contain only one instance of each numeral. Completing the puzzle requires patience and logical ability. An early variant of the puzzle was published in a French newspaper in 1895 and may have been influenced by the great Swiss mathemetician Leonhard Euler, who likely created Latin squares. Modern interest in Sudoku stems from a revival in Japan in 1986, leading to widespread international popularity in 2005.

A Sudoku Puzzle

Didn't Find What You Were Looking For? Try Google!