Dr. Sudoku Prescribes: A Modest Proposal

Thomas Snyder (aka Dr. Sudoku) is a three-time World Sudoku Champion and five-time US Puzzle Champion, as well as the author of several books of puzzles. His puzzles are hand-crafted, with artistic themes, serving as a kind of “cure for the common sudoku.” Each week he posts a new puzzle on his blog, The Art of Puzzles. This week’s prescription details the first (to our knowledge) marriage proposal delivered in sudoku form.
In November, while I was in Hungary at the World Sudoku/Puzzle Championships, I received an email with the subject line “Strange puzzle request from a fan”. I get a lot of unusual mail as a sudoku champion, so I wasn’t sure what would be inside. But I found it was a really interesting challenge. The fan, Alexis, wanted my help in designing a sudoku puzzle to propose to his girlfriend, Jenny, who also was a fan of my logic puzzles.
I can imagine your first impression: how can a sudoku be a marriage proposal? “324169758, 916785234?” doesn’t pack the same meaning as “Darling, will you marry me?” And while I’ve heard many stories of crossword proposals (Jon Stewart proposed to his wife this way), even I didn’t know for sure what a sudoku proposal should look like or, more importantly, how it should be delivered.

But I had some ideas from things I’d written before. In Sudoku Masterpieces I had put together, with my co-author, a whole “love” subsection of sudoku with some unique grid shapes including rings and hearts. On the flight back from Hungary I decided that the best proposal puzzles I could write would replace a two-page spread in that book with puzzles that contained the big question. The message would be clear at the start but Jenny – through either careful, logical thinking or by following her heart – would know the right answer to put into part of the grid.

The hunt puzzles had been a bit challenging, but Jenny had found the pointer to the Masterpieces page, gone to get it, and told Alexis the next thing to do was a Heart Sudo-Kurve. Alexis asked if she’d taken a closer look at the puzzle, and as her eyes widened she caught onto the special message, and gave the right answer. My best wishes to A+J.
If you’re curious, you too can solve these puzzles (found on the next page), but in your case the answer won’t be binding!

Source : http://www.wired.com/magazine/decode/