The New Sudoku Players' Forum

[Hajime]

Sorry Tarek, I could not resist to write an algorithm
Very slow but short recursive program (in Excel).

1.5 hours of programming and a night running produced the solution of V3

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ab3.png (53.39 KiB) Viewed 1033 times

Only 50 lines of recursive code:

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Private Sub CommandButton1_Click() 'GO
    n = 1
    For i = 1 To 11
     For j = 1 To 11
      If Cells(i, j) = -1 Then ii = i: jj = j
      If Cells(i, j) < 0 Then Cells(n, 16) = Cells(i, j): Cells(n, 15) = Cells(i, j): n = n + 1
     Next
    Next
    Columns("O:P").Sort key1:=Range("P1"), order1:=xlDescending, Header:=xlNo 'sort the givens
    Call jumpto(1, 1, ii, jj)
End Sub

Sub jumpto(step, seq, i, j) 'step on cell i, j
  Cells(1, 13) = step:  Cells(2, 13) = seq:  DoEvents
  If Cells(i, j) = "" Then 'empty cell to is good
    If step < -Cells(seq, 15) Then 'still time for a next hurdle
        Cells(i, j) = step
        Call jumpfrom(step + 1, seq, i, j)
        Cells(i, j) = ""
    End If
  ElseIf Cells(i, j) = -step Then ' is an intermediate check of step
    If step = 81 Then
      MsgBox ("Done")
      End
    Else
      If -step = Cells(seq, 15) Then Call jumpfrom(step + 1, seq + 1, i, j)
    End If
  Else 'must be a jar or already been here, no good
  End If
End Sub

Sub jumpfrom(step, seq, i, j)
 For x = -1 To 1
  For y = -1 To 1
   If x = 0 And y = 0 Then
     'nothing
   Else
     xx = clip(i + 2 * x)
     yy = clip(j + 2 * y)
     Call jumpto(step, seq, xx, yy)
   End If
  Next
 Next
End Sub

Function clip(z)
  If z < 1 Then z = z + 11
  If z > 11 Then z = z - 11
  clip = z
End Function


For Ali Baba V1 and V2 it could not produce a solution within a night time span

[tarek]

Great work …

I solved V3 manually …

My last Ali Baba and forty thieves in this thread will be this:

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves V4



In this enchantment, Ali Baba has to finish at the starting tile to break the enchantment and exit. In other words: Tile number 81 is one jump away from Tile 1 where Ali Baba currently stands

I will Put a link to all of these puzzles later & post some more variations in the http://forum.enjoysudoku.com/fairy-chess-piece-tour-puzzles-including-numbrix-hidato-t30443.html thread.

tarek

[m_b_metcalf]

In other words: Tile number 81 is one jump away from Tile 1 where Ali Baba currently stands

So, tile 1 is also tile 82, if I understand correctly.

As always, a text file is much appreciated.

Thanks,

Mike

[tarek]

In other words: Tile number 81 is one jump away from Tile 1 where Ali Baba currently stands

So, tile 1 is also tile 82, if I understand correctly.

As always, a text file is much appreciated.

yes, You can look at it that way

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X   X   .   X   X   .   X   X   .   X   X
X   .   .   .   55  X   56  .   .   .   X
X   .   47  26  .   .   .   28  66  .   X
19  X   54  4   .   .   .   78  8   X   7
.   X   .   .   X   X   X   .   .   X   .
.   .   .   .   17  1   9   .   .   .   .
.   X   .   .   X   X   X   .   .   X   .
14  X   15  2   .   .   .   22  70  X   73
X   .   50  39  .   .   .   41  62  .   X
X   .   .   .   12  X   69  .   .   .   X
X   X   .   X   X   .   X   X   .   X   X

tarek

[m_b_metcalf]

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 step  27 T
  *  * 46  *  * 25  *  * 67  *  *
  *  6 53  5 55  * 56 80 59 79  *
  * 35 47 26 45 27 65 28 66 29  *
 19  * 54  4 57 81 58 78  8  *  7
 48  * 44 34  *  *  * 30 64  * 36
 20 72 18  3 17  1  9 77 10 21 71
 43  * 49 33  *  *  * 31 63  * 37
 14  * 15  2 16 76 11 22 70  * 73
  * 38 50 39 51 32 61 41 62 42  *
  * 74 13 75 12  * 69 24 68 23  *
  *  * 52  *  * 40  *  * 60  *  *
 Solved in  0.000000 s.

Mike

[StrmCkr]

So, tile 1 is also tile 82, if I understand correctly.

As always, a text file is much appreciated.


yes, You can look at it that way

that's pretty much how i saw it as well.

slightly modified my code for the closed loop tour {updated code for the slight change as well} : basically expanded the 80 cell path to 81 to end on the start then ran "limiter" on the expanded array.

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alibaba4.PNG (11.76 KiB) Viewed 974 times

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X   X   .   X   X   .   X   X   .   X   X X   .   .   .   55  X   56  .   .   .   X X   .   47  26  .   .   .   28  66  .   X 19  X   54  4   .   .   .   78  8   X   7 .   X   .   .   X   X   X   .   .   X   . .   .   .   .   17  1   9   .   .   .   . .   X   .   .   X   X   X   .   .   X   . 14  X   15  2   .   .   .   22  70  X   73 X   .   50  39  .   .   .   41  62  .   X X   .   .   .   12  X   69  .   .   .   X X   X   .   X   X   .   X   X   .   X   X


[tarek]

Excellent and well done all … I'm glad that you found them entertaining and challenged you to find solutions in you own way

Tarek

[StrmCkr]

A new piece for you to play with

Sin bad the sailor moves in an arc path

Up down left or right

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x
.x
x

All xs must be clear to make the move.
Sinbads path starts and end at home as all his advetures cover the 7 seas but he retuns home. For all of them

[tarek]

A new piece for you to play with

Sin bad the sailor moves in an arc path

Up down left or right

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x
.x
x

All xs must be clear to make the move.
Sinbads path starts and end at home as all his advetures cover the 7 seas but he retuns home. For all of them

Hold that thought … I'm playing with a new concept (sort of) which should suit Sinbad nicely!

[m_b_metcalf]

I thought it would be nice to try to solve this problem using recursion. I wrote a complete new program whose kernel is a procedure to jump from one numbered tile to the next in the correct number of jumps. The jumps are controlled by a function that handles wraparound.

And, of course, where there's a solver we have the basis of a generator. I wasn't concerned about symmetry, for the moment, and found that making minimal puzzles (for this configuration?) produces what I think are very hard puzzles. Here's my first attempt in text form:

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  J  .  J  .  J  .  J  J  J  .  J
  J  J  J  .  .  .  . 24  .  .  .
  J  .  J  .  J  .  . 54  .  .  .
  J  .  .  .  .  . 73 21  .  .  .
  J  .  J  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 46
 65  J  . 81  J  1 70  .  J  J  .
  J  . 29 51  J  9  .  7 45  J 34
  .  J  J 57  J  .  J  .  J  .  J
  .  .  .  .  .  .  J  .  J 26  J
  J  .  J  .  J  .  J  3  J  .  J
  J 13  J 16  .  .  .  .  . 25  .   minimal

I'd be grateful if someone could check it.

I'm leaving soon for a couple of weeks, so won't be looking into any variants.

Regards,

Mike

[StrmCkr]

The other concept i am tinkering with is blocking cells that can move at the same time we can move in preset patern
to go with sinbad
basically an island fish Jasconius (Aspidochelone)

Of variable. Size that can trap our poor sailor if he cant avoid it in 1 move.

[m_b_metcalf]

I used my program to check tarek's first four puzzles for redundant clue combinations. It found:

V1: 40 and 79;

V2: 41 (at least);

V3: 22, 67, 70 (at least);

V4: 2, 4, 7, 12, 14, 18, 39, 41, 78 (at least).

FWIW

Mike

[tarek]

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  J  .  J  .  J  .  J  J  J  .  J
  J  J  J  .  .  .  . 24  .  .  .
  J  .  J  .  J  .  . 54  .  .  .
  J  .  .  .  .  . 73 21  .  .  .
  J  .  J  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 46
 65  J  . 81  J  1 70  .  J  J  .
  J  . 29 51  J  9  .  7 45  J 34
  .  J  J 57  J  .  J  .  J  .  J
  .  .  .  .  .  .  J  .  J 26  J
  J  .  J  .  J  .  J  3  J  .  J
  J 13  J 16  .  .  .  .  . 25  .   minimal

I'd be grateful if someone could check it.

Single solution!

[m_b_metcalf]

Thanks. And, for a parting shot, here's a version of your second puzzle that has only 15 numbered tiles. Note the leap of 15 tiles between 42 and 57. What's the maximum possible size of a leap? What's the minimum possible number of tiles?

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  30   .   .   .  24   .   .   .   .   .   .
  JJ  JJ   .  JJ  JJ   .   .   .   8   .   .
   .   .  32  JJ  JJ   .  JJ  JJ   .  JJ  JJ
  JJ  JJ   .   .   .   .  JJ  JJ   .   .   .
   .   .  JJ   .  JJ   .  18  59   .  JJ  JJ
  81   .  JJ   .  JJ  42  JJ   .  JJ   .   1
   .   .  JJ   .  JJ  57  19   .   .  JJ  JJ
  JJ  JJ   .   .   .   .  JJ  JJ   .   .   .
   .   .  37  JJ  JJ   .  JJ  JJ   .  JJ  JJ
  JJ  JJ   .  JJ  JJ  70   .   .   3   .   .
   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  62   .   .   .  only 15 numbered tiles, based on V2

Regards,

Mike

[tarek]

The Jar configuration will have an effect on that but even with a symmetric configuration of 40 jars I was able to get 17 clue double orthogonal symmetry. My estimate is that there will be puzzles with less than 15 clues

tarek