The New Sudoku Players' Forum

[PaulIQ164]

I suppose the difference between using T&E and guessing is the the guesser puts in a number he doesn't know to be correct, continues with the puzzle, and (if he's lucky) fills the grid, then says to himself "Ah! Finished!" and goes home. The T&E user would put in the number, fill the grid, and then go back and check the other possibility to make sure that didn't work too.

[QBasicMac]

the difference between using T&E and guessing

Ah hah! There is a term for that on this forum. Thanks.

I retract "Serial hacking" as the phrase "using T&E" already serves that purpose.

I presume my definition of using T&E still stands (including nesting).

Mac

[emm]

Well, the point I'm trying to make, is that at some point you enter a number in a cell without have any particular reason to do so.

Yes, this is guessing.

You have a a particular strategy for chosing which cell and candidate to try - but that candidate is no more or less likely to lead to a solution than any other - so it's just as good, or bad, as a complete guess.

Not necessarily, if it's based on a logical strategy then it's logic, regardless of it's likelihood of success.

Simes asked:

So do you agree with the Lummox's assertion that puzzles that require a guess have multiple solutions, but that those that merely require T&E can have a single solution?

In short.... no. I'm sure Tso shared a '9 guess' grid with us some time ago - and I'm sure it had a unique solution (CMIIW). stuartn

Any chance of finding this?