The New Sudoku Players' Forum

by **daisycat** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 7:00 pm

Has anyone else got Carol Vorderman's 'How to do'? To try to improve my solving skills (I can usually do 'difficult' but am stumped on 'killer'). I have purchased this book but on p26 I can't understand why a 1 canot go in far bottom right hand corner. Am I being particularly thick or is this a mistake?

by **PaulIQ164** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 7:06 pm

When you mention "Killer", I assume you're not referring to the Killer Su Doku that appear now in the times, that are an entirely different puzzle. Anyhow, I haven't got the book, but if you could post the particular puzzle, I'm sure there are many people here who can help.

by **zebedeezbd** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 7:06 pm

if you post the puzzle, we'll have a look at it. several people here are from outside the UK, so won't have access to Carol's book, and most in the UK won't have a copy anyway...

by **daisycat** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 7:29 pm

This is the grid:

Code: Select all: O . 9 . . . 7 . . . 4 . 5 . 9 . 1 . 3 . . . 1 . . . 2 . 1 . . 6 . . 7 . . . 2 7 . 1 8 . . . 5 . . 4 . O 3 O 7 . O O 3 . O . 4 . 8 O 2 . 4 O 6 O . . 6 O . . 5 . .

Carol says that the only positions for 1 are those marked O but I think 1 could also go in bottom righthand corner. Am I right or am I thick?
Thanks for your help-I need to know if it's worth continuing with this book.

by **Karyobin** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 7:36 pm

Well for myself, not having access to anything other than what daisycat just posted, surely the diagram indicates that there can be a possible '1' in r6c7 AND r6c9 - not just r6c9, as you've said?

[Did someone just cancel something? Gotcha!] ;-)

by **Max Beran** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 7:37 pm

And in r9c1.

This is an elementary puzzle which calls for no even mildly advanced tools so calling it a "killer" is a real bad case of mis-selling.

by **Karyobin** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 7:38 pm

No, there can't be '1' at r9c1, because of the only possibility in block 1.

by **daisycat** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 7:48 pm

This isn't a 'killer' -it is the first example in a book telling you ' how to do su doku'. I am I correct in saying it is possible to have 1 in block 9 , r9 c9 as the book does not give this possibility

by **Karyobin** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 7:54 pm

Then going out on a limb, I'd say there's nothing wrong with your thinking at all. I entirely agree that there should be a possible '1' in r9c9 and furthermore if this is the first example in the book, I'd return it. Although accepting that they probably don't have any obligation to take it back, it's probably worth telling the publishers and seeing what their offer is.

Having said that, it's possible there's an obvious thing that we're both missing, so don't take my word for it just yet.

by **PaulIQ164** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 8:54 pm

I agree with the evaluations made thus far - clearly at this stage in solving there's no reason to assume r9c9 can't be a 1. I don't know whether it's worth returning a book over one misprint (albeit an unfortunately placed one,) I guess it depends on how good the rest of the book is.

by **daisycat** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 9:05 pm

Thanks Karyobin and PaulIQ164 for confirming my thoughts. I will persevere with book but then inform publishers of errors. It is a bit galling that 'celebrities' like Carol Vordeman can receive thousands of pounds for writing/endorsing publications which are at best misleading and at worst totally wrong

by **Karyobin** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 11:17 pm

Hands up all those who think Carol Vorderman had ANYTHING to do with this book at all! Come on you at the back, you're not just here to vegetate y'know!

And as far as I'm concerned, if you're going to endorse, you should bloody well read first. Even if you are gutted that Twice-nightly-Whitely's popped his clogs. 's no excuse for bollocks.

They ran out of Stella tonight. Had to finish the night on Carlsberg Export. I find myself in an Odd frame of mind.

by **PaulIQ164** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 11:26 pm

I think one possibility missing in one sudoku grid is perhaps not quite enough to warrant the mauling this book's recieving here... has anyone actually read it and can comment on it with the benefit of some form of evidence perhaps?

by **stuartn** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 8:36 am

I think I saw a bloke on the train reading it a couple of days ago. I'll try to find out who he was.

stuartn

by **lunababy_moonchild** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 3:20 pm

I haven't read the book but I did read the 'copyright' page and it states that Carol Vorderman is indeed the author and that all the puzzles were hand-crafted and copyrighted by Nikoli - who have been very busy judging by my look-see in that particular bookshop. Carol's second book has 420 puzzles also hand-crafted and copyrighted by Nikoli and Nikoli's puzzles are also in the Guardian's book of 100.

Not to mention their proliferation on AmazonUK.

Brace yourselves!

(They must have some back catalogue/archive)

Luna

The New Sudoku Players' Forum

"How to do su doku" by Carol Vorderman

"How to do su doku" by Carol Vorderman