The New Sudoku Players' Forum

[Trocksmore]

Hi all,

Absolute novice here who is, unsurprisingly to my wife, having a difficult time wrapping my head around something so seemingly simple. Specifically the concept of “hidden candidates”. Take “hidden pairs” for example: as I understand it they are defined as: A unit (house, row or column) containing 2 cells with 2 true candidate-pairs whom are “hidden” by false candidates within these cells.

So looking at the image below, it seems to me that the 2 & 3 would be a hidden pair. But they aren’t. And I don’t know why?

Thanks for any help!

[Pat]

row 1 has additional cells where 2 or 3 can be.

[denis_berthier]

Hi Trocksmore
Welcome on this forum.
You don't have the good definitions.

having a difficult time wrapping my head around something so seemingly simple. Specifically the concept of “hidden candidates”.

There's no concept of a hidden candidate. There are only hidden pairs, hidden triplets...

Take “hidden pairs” for example: as I understand it they are defined as: A unit (house, row or column) containing 2 cells with 2 true candidate-pairs whom are “hidden” by false candidates within these cells.

No. It's a unit with two numbers that can appear in only the same two cells. It allows those two cells to have other candidates - which are in no way "false".

[DonM]

No need for questioning the semantics. The hidden pairs and triplets are made up of candidates which can be thought of as hidden. Also, the other candidates in those cells are destined to be eliminated so they can be thought of as ‘false candidates’. In fact, Sudowiki says that ‘these extra candidates 'hide' the true values for these cells’, so one could reasonably describe them as ‘false values or false candidates’.

[StrmCkr]

https://www.reddit.com/r/sudoku/wiki/b-terminology/

the wiki ive been building and maintaining for the solving community on reddit

has pictorials and graphics for these to help you understand how they operate
{best viewed in dark mode desktop} instead of the app as it seems to not show pictures for some reason.