The object is to find the correct number for each square/box. The goal is to have each number from 1 to 9 appear only once in each row, each tier and within each of the nine boxes of nine. The one shown is an intermediate level challenge. They come with as many as 45 numbers already filled in down to about only 20 already filled in. There are numerous free sources of these puzzles online. Enjoy.
It takes awhile to get educated on how to solve these in a fairly short amount time. The easy ones can be done in three minutes or less once you become good at it. The tough ones can take 30 minutes to an hour no matter how experienced you are. A neat little bit of advice for learners is to print them off and then write in each little block the numbers that could possibly go there. As you fill in the associated lines and tiers that impact that particular block, mark out the numbers that it cannot be. Soon, the only number left will appear. Many times, two or three digits will turn out to be very difficult to add into any block until numerous other blocks have already been filled. For example, 2 and 9 may not become clear choices anywhere until about two-thirds of all blocks have been filled.
They make several free apps for droid phones. I have one on mine. It's a great time killer while waiting for doctor appointments, or waiting on your wife...to you know...do anything....at all...at molasses speed.
WARNING, Can be very addictive for guys who like numbers, if you know any of those guys. 😉
I was at an industry dinner recently and one of the speakers was reciting his tale of wanting to represent Australia in rugby, cricket or any olympic sport, but by the time he reached 30 he realised this wasn't going to happen. He decided to create a Sudoku team and represent Aus at the world championships - which he did, and the team went to India (I think it was). Of course the guys had hardly played the game and came a long last, but they had a great time dressed out in their national uniforms. Great story I believe. 🙂
Yes
That one was about the difficulty of the easier ones in our Sunday paper, harder than most of the weekday ones except for a rare Friday.
I might or might not have gotten it by writing in only final answers, probably not. When the pace of finding correct numbers slowed down, I went ahead and wrote in (lightly) ALL the possible options for the remaining squares. That is usually sufficient to finish them. Note that you have to write ALL the remaining options to use proper logic, and not just likely numbers. I can't convince my mother of that fact.
I confess ...
I'm addicted.
HEY!
print them off and then write in each little block the numbers that could possibly go there
That's cheating!
:coffee:
(That's what I tell my wife when she finishes faster that I do)
SUDOKU?????
Most Holy Bovineness, it’s summertime for cripes sake. His Holiness is supposed to be outside cudding clover and whatever else you deem digestible, and at the same time generate copious amounts of methane. We all know disbursement of methane is more mannerly in the summer as opposed to winter in as much as one does not have the visible accompanying methane “cloud” in the summer. And besides it’s time to make baby Holy Cow’s, so why are you playing Sudoku? 😉
Have a great WEDNESDAY! B-)
I'm addicted. My best time on the 5-star puzzles is less than 15 minutes (some have taken an hour). My best time on the easiest puzzles is around 5 minutes.
swmbo plays in the car on long road trips. It will carry over steadily for few weeks at home and then she periodically plays.
It's like this
If Mrs. Cow catches me attempting to make baby Holy Cow's I'll be the one in that deep pile of meadow muffins. She's done been neutered. Completely.
Statisitcal Failure
As I am lining up rows and columns and numbers and squares, I always consider the statistically stronger answer. When the answer is the less likely I am always pleased to be reminded of the shortcomings of that discipline that is not true mathematics.
Statisitcal Failure
I don't see that statistics have any place in the strategy. It's all hard logic.
I've never found one that I couldn't finish by logic. The very hardest ones require some multi-level thinking "if this is a 6, that must be a 4 and therefore this one ..." until I find a conflict and can say it wasn't a 6 to begin with, leaving fewer possibilities.
The logic is repetition of filling in the obvious and then asking:
Is there only one place left in this row/column/box that a 1 can go?
Repeat for all symbols.
Is there only one symbol left that can go in this square?
Repeat for all squares.
If that doesn't finish it, then I write in all remaining options in each square.
Look for sets within a row/column/box such that N symbols must occur in N squares. For instance the options for 3 squares in a row are (3,5), (1,3,5), and (1,5). Then I know that I can erase the 1,3, and 5 from the options in all other squares in that row.
Usually that is sufficient, but occasionally you have to think deeper with "what if".
Statisitcal Failure
:good:
Same here.
