SUDOKU CHALLENGE 2007@ Swiss Embassy · The Sudoku Challenge 2007@Swiss Embassy on 21.07.07 celebrating the 300 anniversary of Euler is mentioned in this article. Nikoli magazine,

Embassy of Switzerland in Japan

State Secretariat for Education and Research SER

SUDOKU CHALLENGE 2007＠ Swiss Embassy • Felix Moesner, Science & Technology Attaché Page 1 of 27

Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft Confédération suisse Confederazione Svizzera Confederaziun svizra

SUDOKU CHALLENGE 2007＠ Swiss Embassy Celebration of the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler’s 300th anniversary in Japan http://www.euler-2007.ch/sudoku Motivation To celebrate the 300th anniversary of Leonhard Euler, the famous Swiss mathematician who is also considered the grandfather of the Sudoku puzzle, the Embassy of Switzerland in Tokyo held a Sudoku competition titled “SUDOKU CHALLENGE 2007@SWISS EMBASSY”. The event took place on Saturday, July 21, 2007 at the Residence of the Swiss Ambassador in Tokyo, as part of activities in connection with «Euler 2007 Japan. The Swiss Innovation Link». Born in Basel, Switzerland, Leonhard Euler spent most of his very productive life in St. Petersburg/Russia and in Berlin/Germany. He is considered to be the most prominent mathematician of the 18th century and may well be compared with Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton or Albert Einstein. A brilliant researcher, Euler made important discoveries in the field of fundamental mathematics. Amongst his many works, his insights on Latin Squares laid the groundwork for today’s Sudoku puzzles. Sudoku first became popular in Japan and gradually reached worldwide fame. With Euler involved in the puzzle’s origins, a unique link is created between Switzerland and Japan. Thus, by organizing a Sudoku competition in cooperation with Nikoli Co., Tokyo, the owner of the Sudoku trademark, the Embassy of Switzerland hosted a celebration commemorating the year 2007 as the “Year of Leonhard Euler”. The “SUDOKU CHALLENGE 2007@SWISS EMBASSY” was organized for 3 categories of competitors: Senior citizens, Families and General. Sudoku is a "game" that challenges the mind in a playful manner. Solving it is a motivating exercise which keeps the brain young and thus is of key importance to today’s greying societies. On the other hand, kids too need to be approached actively in order to trigger their curiosity for science, and a central role was given to competing families, by whom the puzzles were solved in proactive teamwork. The competition was accompanied by an ambitious, but nevertheless harmonious atmosphere, inciting individuals to show their best. Generous sponsors contributed attractive prizes with 8 round-trip air tickets to Switzerland including accommodation topping the list. Message The event gave the opportunity to present to the general public of Japan Switzerland’s excellence in education and how it nurtures innovation. With the 300 years of Euler, we highlighted the innovative strength of Switzerland that goes back centuries. A dozen posters (received from the Swiss Embassy in Beijing) emphasized Euler’s achievements and the fact that even in today’s world, these discoveries are found in new technologies and unique pioneering works; Swiss excellence for innovation, scientific research, environment and education sparking cooperation in new fruitful research & technology, implementation of new technologies and the use of existing Swiss technologies in the high-tech powerhouse Japan. Pre-Selection and Preparations The Swiss Embassy and its sponsors did extensive advertising. In addition to a webpage www.euler-2007.ch/sudoku (kindly hosted on the Euler 2007 Program Committee’s website), the following publication means and channels were chosen: • Website of the Embassy of Switzerland

http://www.euler-2007.ch/sudoku





• The other websites: Swiss Tourism website Nikkei Net (7 million users, the biggest news website in Japan) announcement with an article on Sudoku from 24.05.07 http://jitsumuj.weblogs.jp/jjchief/ (Juken Journal Chief Editor’s blog) http:/news.fresheye.com/ The Mathematic Society of Japan

• Newspapers: – The Mainichi Shimbun (circulation: 4,001,840) announcement with article on Euler and Sudoku on 02.05.07 by a journalist who was a member of the press tour.

– The Yomiuri Shimbun (circulation: 10,033,271) announcement with article on technology on 13.06.07 by a journalist who was a member of the press tour .

– The Asahi Shimbun(circulation: 8,225,032) announcement only on Saturday edition on 02.06.07

• Freepapers – Sankei City Living (circulation of 180,225 in Tokyo only) announcement on

15.06.07. – R25 (circulation: 600,000 in Tokyo) announcement on 15.06.07 – Metropolis (in English language, Tokyo area) announcement on 15.06.07. – Appeal (watch related free paper) announcement on 15.05.07

• Magazines – Nikoli magazine - Sudoku Tsushin No.5 announcement mid March 2007

– Nikoli magazine - Sudoku Tsushin No.6 announcement mid May 2007 – Yomiuri Weekly (circulation: 114,122) announcement on 21.05.07 – Brutus (circulation: 81,947) announcement on 15.06.07 – Shukan Asahi (circulation:319,562) announcement with an article by a

journalist who was a member of the press tour. – Get Navi (circulation: 114,122) July issue – Le Volant (circulation: 81,947) July issue – Watch File Vol 20 annoucement – Men’s! July issue announcement – Monthly M July issue – Par Golf exe 2007 summer issue

The website was frequently viewed during the months before the event, with a peak number of hits and visits during the month of June. The following table shows the complete statistics:

Month (2007) Hits Visits April 388 304 May 2723 2403 June 3364 2969 July 1524 1295 Total 7999 6971

Table: Number of times the Euler webpage was viewed from April to July 2007 A total of 496 application cards were received, matching the qualification requirements for each of the three categories: Senior Citizens: Anyone who is 60 years of age or older. Families: 3 people as a group which includes at least 2 generations. It must include at least one

person who is of junior high school age or under. Uncles/aunts or nephews/nieces are considered as family.

General: Anyone. The final participants were drawn by lottery. By category: Senior Citizens: 20 people Families: 6 groups General: 20 people

http://jitsumuj.weblogs.jp/jjchief/





Event

After a warm welcome by the Swiss Ambassador and an introduction by the president of Nikoli, the rules of the Sudoku challenge were explained to the participants. The actual contest was entirely organised and led by Nikoli.

The competition was held by category. In a first 15-min round, the candidates solved as many puzzles as possible. The winners of this round proceeded to the second round, where they were given 10 minutes to solve a new set of problems. In the final round, the best players competed on speed, solving one single Sudoku puzzle. All participants witnessed the finals, their enthusiasm creating a superb atmosphere.

A special group of invited VIPs solved Sudoku puzzles in the same room. The awards ceremony was held after the competition, followed by a reception.

Prizes The first-prize winners of each category received round-trip tickets to Switzerland (with SwissPass and 2 night stay at a 5-star hotel, Hotel Euler in Basel). The second-prize winners of each category were awarded a Swiss mechanical watch, the Oris Leonhard Euler edition.





The third-prize winners of each category received a prize from Bally Japan, Ltd. A special forth grand prize was given by Caran d’Ache. All participants received a goodie bag full of sponsored items and information leaflets on Switzerland. Media NHK Radio Evening News made a live interview with Mr. Peter Nelson, counsellor in charge of Culture and Public Affairs on 20 July 2007, one day before the event. The content of the interview was the Sudoku challenge at the Swiss Embassy on the following day. ‘Takeshi no Komanechi Daigaku Sugaku-ka’, a mathematical TV program with Takeshi Kitano, a world renowned film director and comedian, made a special program featuring Euler and three people from the program participated the Sudoku challenge as non-competing participants. The program was on air on August 23, 2007. The Asahi Shimbun, Saturday special edition ‘Be’ featured the Sudoku Challenge. The journalists participated the challenge as non-competing participants, too. The article appeared on August 4, 2007 with a big photo of the event. The Asahi Shimbun evening edition of 21.07.07, Osaka area , featured an article on Sudoku by Prof. Eshun Hamaguchi, International Research Center for Japanese Studies. The Sudoku Challenge 2007@Swiss Embassy on 21.07.07 celebrating the 300 anniversary of Euler is mentioned in this article. Nikoli magazine, Sudoku Tsushin No. 7, ran a 4-page feature reporting the whole event with 3 photos and a special feature on Euler. http://jitsumuj.weblogs.jp/jjchief/ (Juken Journal Chief Editor’s blog) The event was reported with a photo on this website immediately after the event. Sponsors Organizer Embassy of Switzerland • Ambassador • Science & Technology Office • Culture & Press Section • Swiss Business Hub • Location:Switzerland http://www.eda.admin.ch/tokyo

Co-Organizer Switzerland Tourism http://www.myswiss.jp

Special Sponsor NIKOLI Co., Ltd. http://www.nikoli.co.jp

Co-Sponsors: Presence Switzerland http://www.presence.ch

Swiss State Secretariat for Education and Research http://www.sbf.admin.ch

http://jitsumuj.weblogs.jp/jjchief/

http://www.eda.admin.ch/tokyo

http://www.myswiss.jp

http://www.nikoli.co.jp

http://www.presence.ch

http://www.sbf.admin.ch





ORIS / EURO PASSION SA http://www.europassion.co.jp/oris

Bally Japan Ltd. http://www.bally.com

Caran d’Ache Japan, Ltd. http://www.carandache.ch

Victorinox Japan, Inc. http://www.victorinox.co.jp

Ikeda Meikoudo http://www.ikedameikodou.com

Swiss International Air Lines http://www.swiss-japan.co.jp

Swiss Business Hub Japan http://www.osec.ch/sbhjapan

Heidiland Mineralwasser AG http://www.heidilandwater.ch

Basel Tourismus http://www.baseltourismus.ch

Ricola / Nisshoku Co., Ltd. http://www.ricola.com

Lindt & Sprüngli AG / Rokko Butter Co., Ltd. http://www.lindt.jp

UBS AG, Tokyo Branch http://www.ubs.com/japan

Supporter: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology http://www.mext.go.jp

Mathematical Society of Japan http://wwwsoc.nii.ac.jp/msj6/

http://www.europassion.co.jp/oris

http://www.bally.com

http://www.carandache.ch

http://www.victorinox.co.jp

http://www.ikedameikodou.com

http://www.swiss-japan.co.jp

http://www.osec.ch/sbhjapan

http://www.heidilandwater.ch

http://www.baseltourismus.ch

http://www.ricola.com

http://www.lindt.jp

http://www.ubs.com/japan

http://www.mext.go.jp

http://wwwsoc.nii.ac.jp/msj6/





Appendix: Articles on Euler and Sudoku

Weekly Magazine Article Yomiuri Weekly, April 22 issue, 2007 (excerpt) Swiss “Cutting-Edge Technology” Report Visit to European Silicon Valley Experimental Site By Motohiro Takahata, Staff Writer (Photos taken by Takahata) Switzerland, which may remind most Japanese people of mechanical luxury watches, is about to lead the world in the field of advanced technology. The world’s most advanced and biggest science technology project in search of the smallest particle in the univers is about to begin in Switzerland. The experiment is set to start as early as this autumn at the site built gathering the high-tech expertise in the country. A giant tunnel, with a circumfrence of 27 kilometers or about the size of the Tokyo loop line JR Yamanote-sen, is cureently being built 100 meters underground at CERN (the French Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, or European Council for Nuclear Research),.There, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is near completion. The Higgs boson is the sole remaining particle which has been predicted to exist in theory, but has yet to be discovered in reality. Up until now, it was nearly impossible to the Higgs boson. However, expectations are growing deep under in the ground beneath Geneva, Switzerland, that the LHC would make it possible. CERN apparently has become the Silicon Valley of Europe, where technologies from all over the world are gathered. At the base of this are the universities for fundamental science, which consistently score high in rankings of the level of research at universities around the world. These universities are directly connected with the research and development at the private-sector companies in Switzerland. Such academic-industrial collaboration is seen in various fields and is strongly supported by the Commission for Technology and Innovation (CTI), Federal Department of Economic Affairs of Switzerland. In the five years from 2001 to 2005, CTI has spent about 100 billion yen on 1,500 basic research projects at universities and other organizations. Thus, by raising the level of research and development at universities and bridging the gap with the private-sector companies, CTI has promoted the collaboration between business and academia. The cooperation between basic research and applied research does not necessarily work well even in developed countries such as Japan. In Switzerland, the joint research and development by universities and industry has nourished the world’s highest level of biotechnology, for example in the drug sector. A similar path may be taken in other areas of the broad field of high technology in the future.









Daily Newspaper Article The Mainichi Newspapers, May 2 issue, 2007 (excerpt) Grandfather of SUDOKU Spotlighted Will it work as a brake against people’s shift away from sciences? By Taku Nishikawa (Photos also taken by Nishikawa) This year marks the 300th anniversary of the birth of the great Swiss mathematician, Leonhard Euler (1707 – 1783). Euler is a genius in many fields such as mathematics, physics and astronomy. Surprisingly, he has a close association with the globally famous puzzle, “SUDOKU”. Events celebrating Euler’s birth will be held in Switzerland through fall; behind which there is an aim to stop the move away from science in the country. Even in Switzerland, you can find the puzzle “Sudoku” in many newspapers. There are several sudoku puzzle magazines and exercise books in the bookstores. It is said that Sudoku was originally invented by an American architect in 1970s. In 1980s, the Japanese puzzle company, NIKOLI Co., Ltd. introduced it to Japan. Then a New Zealand traveller saw the puzzle in Tokyo and promoted it in a British newspaper. That was the start of a worldwide boom of Sudoku. Why can Euler be considered as “the Grandfather of Sudoku”? The original form of Sudoku was the research subject Euler was working on. The “36 officer problem” was a question whether 36 officers could be arranged in a six by six square so that each of the six regiments and each of the six ranks appear only once in each row and column. This kind of arrangement is called “Greco-Latin squares.” Sudoku is a puzzle to fill a nine by nine square so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes contains the digits from 1 to 9. The achievements made by Euler are found not only in mathematics but also dynamics, optics, astronomy, machine engineering and even music theory. Euler did not regard science as merely a genuine learning experience, but actually applied science to solve problems. Euler calculated ballistic trajectories and blood flow in the veins. Euler’s theory on optics helped develop telescopes. His fluid dynamics were used for designing ships and airplanes. His theory on mathematics is used to create time tables. What Euler accomplished is the basis of all science. Events in Switzerland, such as exhibitions and lectures will be held in various cities, but mainly in Basel where Euler spent his younger days. The Program Committee is focusing on events especially for the general public. Comic books on Euler’s life have been published. Commemorative postage stamps have been issued. Lecturers have been dispatched to high schools. Math questions are asked in the trams, the popular public transportation for Swiss citizens. The shift away from science is also serious even in Switzerland. The number of students who study natural science is decreasing. In line with this trend, it is predicted that there will be a shortange of 2,000 teachers in mathematics and physics in ten years. Prof. Dr. Hanspeter Kraft, president of the Program Committee said, “People are interested only in economics or business and lost interest in science. We would like them to understand that science is an exciting challenge and can be a starting point for the future.” In Japan, the Embassy of Switzerland will host the “Sudoku Challenge 2007” on July 21.









Daily Newspaper Article The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 13 issue, 2007 (excerpt) It’s Time for Euler To solve the shift away from science amongst young people By Seiji Hasegawa (Photos also taken by Hasegawa) A series of events to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the birth of the great Swiss mathematician, Leonhard Euler (1707 – 83) has started in Switzerland. The events which commemorate the great mathematician are also intended to stop shift away from science. Euler was born near Basel and entered the University of Basel at the age of 13. The private lessons from one of the most eminent mathematician in Europe, Johann Bernoulli developed Euler’s various gifts. In later his years, Euler lived in several European cities, but he was always associated with Basel. Euler wrote 850 research papers in the field of mathematics, optics, astronomy and so on. He also had a great knowledge of philosophy and music. His achievements to apply mathematics to solve problems in many different fields have great meanings. The Euler square, the basis of the puzzle “Sudoku” and Euler's polyhedron theorem are introduced in many textbooks. The commemorative events are organized by the program committee consisting of the University of Basel, Swiss Academy of Science, the Swiss Government and other organizations. The events will be held mainly in Basel from this March to autumn. Exhibitions showing Euler’s papers and letters have started at university and other places. Other events such as the open lecture on science and film showings are coming up. The reason behind universities’ and governmental focus on these Euler commemorative events is the trend of people shifting away from sciences in Switzerland. Although the country has little natural resources, Switzerland is supported by the high academic level among European countries and has been on track to become a nation based on science and technology, with strength in such areas as chemistry, chemicals and machinery. Growth in the number of students who major in science and math have been sluggish. In the case of University of Basel, even though the total number of students has increased from 3,000 to 10,000 in the last half-century, the number of students majoring in natural science has barely risen. Instead, business and politics have become popular. Since it has become much easier to exchange degrees between European universities, Swiss schools took in talented students, but they also worry this change will accelerate the shift away from science. With more students showing interest in global companies, there is a dramatic decline in those willing to become high school teachers. It is estimated that high schools will be short of 2,000 teachers in physics and mathematics in 10 years. Securing excellent human resource has emerged as an urgent issue. “Efficiency comes first in the current society where principles based on market mechanism. We should take a moment and reconsider the importance of fundamental research which tends to be considered unnecessary and disregarded,” Prof. Dr. Hanspeter Kraft, University of Basel said, adding “ The events on Euler gives young people a good opportunity to look at contemporary issues.” The Embassy of Switzerland on the 21st will host “Sudoku Challenge 2007,” celebrating the 300th anniversary of Euler’s birthday at the Ambassador’s residence in Minato-ku, Tokyo.









Weekly Magazine Article Shukan Asahi (Weekly Asahi), the week of June 22 issue, 2007 (excerpt) Origin of “Sudoku” is in Switzerland By Masayuki Koike Professor of International Humanitarian Law The Japan Red Cross College of Nursing The second world competition of the puzzle game “sudoku” enjoyed all over the world was held in Prague, Czech this spring. About 140 people from 32 countries participated in the competition. In the team competition, a Japan team won first place. Even in the individual competition, a student of the Tokyo University came in second place. Japan is a sudoku-advanced country. The puzzle’s original form was generated in Europe about 300 years ago. “Sudoku” is the puzzle which applies “Euler square”. The person who discovered the formula is the great Swiss mathematician, Leonhard Euler. The size of Switzerland is almost the same as Kyushu of Japan, and the population is about 7.5 million people. Switzerland has produced many geniuses. There are 9 Nobel Prize winners in Japan, while there are 23 in Switzerland. It seems to me that the secret lies in the Swiss educational system. This year is the 300th anniversary of the birth of Euler. How did Switzerland nurture this genius who captivates the world by the magic of numbers even now? A man is strongly influenced by his environment and cultivates his talent. Euler’s hometown, Basel is an industrial city representing Switzerland in the field of textile, chemicals and printing. Basel is also an international city on the border with Germany and France.. The great mathematician was born and raised in this city. Before the age of eight, Euler was given a mathematical textbook. He was sent to a Latin school as well. At the age of 13, Euler entered the University of Basel which was founded in 1460. At the university, Euler met Johann Bernoulli, the most eminent mathematician in Europe at the time. Bernoulli soon noticed Euler’s mathematical talent and gave extra lessons on weekends at home. Euler spent his very productive life in St. Petersburg, Russia and in Berlin, Germany as a mathematician, writer and professor. He put his life into mathematics and died at the age of 76. The Swiss educational system consists of a secondary education focusing on mathematics and language study and the higher education for elites. This tradition is inherited from the era of Euler until today. In Switzerland, the nine years at elementary and junior high school are mandatory as in Japan. Its annual educational budget is about 1 trillion yen, which is less than 10% of that in Japan. However, the per capita contribution in Switzerland is about 129,000 yen, which is 1.5 times of the Japanese expense. This enables to keep the average number of students in one classroom at 19.9. During the compulsory education, at the age of around nine, children in the German-speaking areas start learning French, while children in the French-speaking areas start learning German. They start receiving education of foreign languages focusing on English with emphasis on conversation in their early teens. Students can speak more than three languages when they graduate from high school. In the Swiss educational system, mathematics is considered a very basic subject and an essential element to understand not only natural science but also economics, art and social science. The Swiss universities are the institutions to foster the elite. There are two federal institutes of technology and 10 cantonal universities. After the compulsory education, only about 17% of students go to regular high school to pursue higher education. Most others go to occupational high school. While attending high school, students serve out their apprenticeship to acquire techniques.





The percentage of students pursuing higher education in Switzerland is far below average of 44% among the OECD countries. However, Switzerland prefers this situation over blindly increasing the number of university graduates. In 1863 (1864?), Switzerland sent a diplomatic envoy to Japan. Since then, two countries have maintained good relations. Under the Abe Administration Japan decalred “departure from the post-war regime” and “educational reform.” Where is it headed? I wonder whether if Japan is still “a truly independent, unique and intellectually-progressing country” as the diplomatic envoy described at the end of the Edo period. While gazing at squares of a sudoku puzzle, I recall the solemn atmosphere of the University of Basel Euler where I studied..





Article on the blog of the editor-in-chief, Juken Journal (Jitsumu Kyoiku-Shuppan, Co., Ltd.), July 23, 2007





Daily Newspaper Article The Asahi Shimbun “Be” section (Weekdend edition), August 4 issue, 2007 The Asahi reporters’ experience note in “Sudoku Challenge 2007”.





Appendix: Euler and Sudoku Portraits on TV ‘Takeshi no Komanechi Daigaku Sugaku-ka’, a mathematical TV program with Takeshi Kitano, a world renowned film director and comedian, made a special program featuring Euler and three people from the program participated the Sudoku challenge as non-competitive participants. The program was broadcasted August 23, 2007.

A special feature on Euler at Science Channel; (http://sc-smn.jst.go.jp) will be shown on National TV. The program will be aired in April 2008.

http://sc-smn.jst.go.jp

Documents

SUDOKU CHALLENGE 2007@ Swiss Embassy · The Sudoku Challenge 2007@Swiss Embassy on 21.07.07 celebrating the 300 anniversary of Euler is mentioned in this article. Nikoli magazine,