Have you seen the awesome 7xwords website yet? Check it out! The index page shows you all 312 possible 7x7 crossword grids (subject to a few standard rules as described on the "why?" page). That amounts to a new puzzle six days a week for all 52 weeks of the year and constructors could claim a grid for a certain day in advance.
When I first heard about this project on Twitter toward the beginning of the year, I was really intrigued and hoped to take part. I looked for a date that was not imminent (so I could worry about making a puzzle later) but also not too far off in the future (so I wouldn't have to worry about forgetting until the last minute). I picked April 3 because it was soon-ish and also not within a day of a holiday. I didn't even think to look at what the grid would be, so I'm glad it ended up being something manageable (the image at the top of this post).
A few weeks later, when I started working on the puzzle, I looked for interesting people born on that day. (I had already seen some birthday-themed puzzles appear on the site in the meantime, including some celebrating the constructor's birthday.) I was glad to find a notable mathematician such that I could include part of their name and some of their life's work in the puzzle. I realize they are probably not well known in the general public, but I'm hoping this puzzle might help other puzzle-solvers and constructors learn about them and consider using them as crossword fill from now on!
Click this link for my puzzle on 7xwords, Saturday, April 3, 2021!
Thanks very much to Malaika for letting me take part in this wonderful project. Check out the whole 7xwords site for her other puzzles, as well as some recent interviews where she talks about this project and other crossword stuff.
And, hey, if you liked seeing mathematical names and terms appearing in a crossword puzzle, then check out my book!
Mini Math Crosswords book: https://bit.ly/MiniMathCrosswords
Sample puzzles: http://bit.ly/MiniMathSamples
I made 64 puzzles, each a 10x10 grid with two theme answers running horizontally. Sometimes they're similar terms (FRACTION / RATIONAL), sometimes they form a phrase or name (SRINIVASA / RAMANUJAN), or sometimes they just have a linguistic connection (WEAK STAR / POWER SET). Meanwhile, the rest of the fill is chock full of math words and names. All but a couple of entries feature something mathematical in either the answer or the clue. For example, you'll see MATLAB and OPENSET and ANOVA and NOETHER, and you'll see TIE clued as: "A high school math teacher might get one with formulas on it as a gift."
I realize they may pose a challenge because of the specific trivia knowledge included therein. However, I'm hoping the smaller size and mini themes will help you make some inroads, and I believe that a lot of fun will be had in looking up answers and learning some new stuff. I certainly learned a lot while researching everything and writing clues!
So, if you're interested in mathematics and crosswords, check it out. Just today, I posted two sample puzzles on my new academic website, as well, so you can see what they're like.
Two things before ending: 1) I know that academic website is pretty unimpressive for now. Can you tell I threw it together in time for today? :-) 2) My book is also available on that famous site whose name is a big river and rainforest, but please don't order it there; they gouge out literally 80% of my profits. Instead, please order through the Lulu website at this link, thank you! https://bit.ly/MiniMathCrosswords
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