edit .....no I was right all along ...- Code: Select all
MAX21#.....1..2..3....4..5..67.......8.9....62.....7.1....3....9..1.7.4...5...8.....6..#MAX 21 * coloin
MinMaxExercise
Re: MinMaxExercise
by coloin » Wed Apr 29, 2026 6:25 pm
Correction, My MAX21 was below these puzzles... edit .....no I was right all along ...
edit .....no I was right all along ...- coloin
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Re: MinMaxExercise
by m_b_metcalf » Wed Apr 29, 2026 7:10 pm
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..1..2..3.2..1..4.3..4..2....256.73..7.2...656..7.14.2..7.4...6.1.6..37.8.61.75.4 # MAX 32 * m_b_metcalf
Mike
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by 1to9only » Wed Apr 29, 2026 8:57 pm
I maintain my own list of min and max puzzles posted.
These differ from the list in post#3, wrt the following grids:
These improved grids were posted Mon Apr 27, 2026 8:04 pm:
These differ from the list in post#3, wrt the following grids:
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.................1.....1..2..1..2..3..2..3.4..5..4..6...3.7....4..6...5.6..5..8.. # MIN 20 * m_b_metcalf
.................1.....1..2..1..2..3..2....4...3.45..6.1...3.7..35.8..9.9..75.... # MIN 22 * m_b_metcalf
These improved grids were posted Mon Apr 27, 2026 8:04 pm:
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.................1.....1..2..1..2..3..2..3..4.5..6..7...3.8..1.6..7...5.7..5..... # MIN 20 * 1to9only
.................1.....1..2..1..2..3..2....4...3.45..6.1...3.7..35.6....8..7...19 # MIN 22 * 1to9only
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1to9only - Posts: 4229
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by 1to9only » Wed Apr 29, 2026 9:23 pm
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.....1..2..3....4..5..67......3..8....7.9....1.4....5....5..9.3.6...8...2.....7.. # MAX 21 * 1to9only
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1to9only - Posts: 4229
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Re: MinMaxExercise
by m_b_metcalf » Wed Apr 29, 2026 9:38 pm
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.....1..2..3....4..5.36.......78.5....2....6.4....9....1.2..8..6....3..77.......9 # MAX 22 * m_b_metcalf
..1..2..3.2..4..5.4..6..7....2478..5.7..3.4..3..2...6...3..7.9..8.1..5..9...2...8 # MAX 29 * m_b_metcalf
Mike
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m_b_metcalf - 2017 Supporter
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Re: MinMaxExercise
by coloin » Wed Apr 29, 2026 10:53 pm
Ok guys ... just back from the pub !!!!
I Will sort ...
Glad you are doing the exercise... extending the limits is getting harder...and I missed the levels on the MAX22 and MAX23.
Using the puzzles a level above has been useful for me... but I guess we will get to the stage where the limit is reached in the sudoku puzzle space !!
Its a balance as I could post my best puzzle and you would miss the journey.
I seem to remember that the MAX25 is particularly irksome !
I Will sort ...
Glad you are doing the exercise... extending the limits is getting harder...and I missed the levels on the MAX22 and MAX23.
Using the puzzles a level above has been useful for me... but I guess we will get to the stage where the limit is reached in the sudoku puzzle space !!
Its a balance as I could post my best puzzle and you would miss the journey.
I seem to remember that the MAX25 is particularly irksome !
- coloin
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Re: MinMaxExercise
by coloin » Sat May 02, 2026 2:28 pm
- Code: Select all
MAX26#.....1..2.34....5.6.5.2..7......8.34...6.37..5..4..9.....9....3.46.7....82....5..# MAX 26 * coloin
MAX27#..1..2..3.2..4..5.5..6..7....58..3...8..7...94....6.1...91....4.5..6..3.7....32..# MAX 27 * coloin
MAX29#..1..2..3.2..4..5.4..6..7....28....4.1...98..9.8.6..1...9.3..7..53..69..2..1....5# MAX 29 * coloin
MAX30#..1..2..3.2..4..5.4..6..7....3..589..9..8.5.78..7...36..7..4..5.6..1..7.5..2..3..# MAX 30 * coloin
MAX31#..1..2..3.2..4..5.4..1657.2..58..2...6...7..81...2..6..1..8..7.3..6..8..8.9..1..6# MAX 31 * coloin
MAX33#..1..2..3.2..1..4.5..6..7....2.8..9.18...9.379..15.2.8.1.9..3..2.3.7...989...1.7.# MAX 33 * coloin
- coloin
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Re: MinMaxExercise
by m_b_metcalf » Sat May 02, 2026 3:05 pm
- Code: Select all
..1..2..3.2..4..5.5..6..7....6..1.8..3..8.2..8..7....4..8.6...9.4...9.7.9..3..1.. # MAX 27 * m_b_metcalf
Mike
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m_b_metcalf - 2017 Supporter
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Re: MinMaxExercise
by Mauricio » Wed May 06, 2026 7:04 pm
Hello
Thanks to coloin for starting this mini competition using my puzzles. The puzzles posted are nice. Unfortunately for me, I am very rusty and at the moment I can't contribute.
To continue, may I suggest to find puzzles such that in lexicographical form start with 123456789 (with spaces between clues), for each number of clue we can try to find its minimum and maximum.
Some examples:
Thanks to coloin for starting this mini competition using my puzzles. The puzzles posted are nice. Unfortunately for me, I am very rusty and at the moment I can't contribute.
To continue, may I suggest to find puzzles such that in lexicographical form start with 123456789 (with spaces between clues), for each number of clue we can try to find its minimum and maximum.
Some examples:
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25 clues
+-------+-------+-------+
| . . . | . . . | . . . |
| . . . | . . . | . . 1 |
| . . . | . . 2 | . . . |
+-------+-------+-------+
| . . 3 | . . . | . . . |
| . . 4 | . . 5 | . . 6 |
| . . 7 | . 8 9 | 2 3 . |
+-------+-------+-------+
| . 3 1 | . 2 7 | . 9 . |
| . 4 . | . . 6 | . . 3 |
| . 5 6 | . 3 . | 1 4 7 |
+-------+-------+-------+
26 clues
+-------+-------+-------+
| . . . | . . . | . . 1 |
| . . 2 | . 3 4 | . 5 . |
| 6 7 . | 8 . . | 9 . . |
+-------+-------+-------+
| . . . | . . 9 | 8 . . |
| . . 9 | . . . | . 6 . |
| 8 . . | 6 . . | . . . |
+-------+-------+-------+
| . 9 6 | . 7 . | 5 . . |
| 1 . . | . 6 5 | 4 . . |
| 5 . 8 | . . . | . . 2 |
+-------+-------+-------+
- Mauricio
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Re: MinMaxExercise
by coloin » Wed May 06, 2026 8:24 pm
m_b_metcalf wrote:Was that it? Game over?
No .... there is some way to go.... and I was waiting to see if we had anymore contributors ....
Hello Mauricio !!!
I wonder how you came across your min and max puzzles so correctly ... i know a long time ago !!!
I guess we could [when weve completed the exercise] find min and max puzzles which for example start with [........1]
In your examples the absolute MIN puzzle starts with
- Code: Select all
+-------+-------+-------+
| . . . | . . . | . . . |
| . . . | . . . | . . 1 |
| . . . | . . 1 | . . 2 |
+-------+-------+-------+
the MAX26 puzzles do start with
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MAX26#.....1..2.34....5.6.7.8..........................................................#
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MAX27#..1..2..3.2..4..5.6..7..2....4.8.7...7...5.3.9..1....6..7..6.8..3..9.1..8..5....4# MAX27 * coloin
MAX26#.....1..2.34....5.6.7.8.........2.95...3.94..9..6..1...4....57..9..4...33.15.....# MAX26 * coloin
- coloin
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Re: MinMaxExercise
by coloin » Thu May 07, 2026 1:40 pm
On the MAX27 clue side .... it does start with
so maybe Mauricio's original method can be used on the MAX27 and MAX26 ?
there are only 18 27 clue diagonal patterns, my best MAX27 puzzle happens to be pattern 09
adding a clue gave approx 198 28 clue patterns
looking at Mauicios MAX 28 this is indeed a puzzle with the largest 28 clue pattern !! and it appears to be the only minlex minimal puzzle with 123456789 in the first row.
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..1..2..3.2..4..5.6..7..8........................................................
so maybe Mauricio's original method can be used on the MAX27 and MAX26 ?
there are only 18 27 clue diagonal patterns, my best MAX27 puzzle happens to be pattern 09
Hidden Text: Show
adding a clue gave approx 198 28 clue patterns
looking at Mauicios MAX 28 this is indeed a puzzle with the largest 28 clue pattern !! and it appears to be the only minlex minimal puzzle with 123456789 in the first row.
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MIN33#.................1.....1..2..1.3..24.43..5..6.65.42.73.37.86.1..56..7.3818..53.67# MIN 33 * coloin
MIN34#.................1.....1..2..1.32.45..5..6.23.234.51.7.14763.58.5...8..4.8.5.4716# MIN 34 * coloin
MIN35#.................1.....1.23..3..41.5.5413.67.7.6.5..34.457..216.68215.47.7.4....8# MIN 35 * coloin
min36#.................1.....1.23.14.52.6.52.786.1487.1.4.5..47..823.25.4.7..66.8..5.47# MIN 36 * coloin
- coloin
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by 1to9only » Tue May 12, 2026 9:21 am
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.................1.....1..2..1.3....24.5.6..787..42.53.35.87.16.67..5.3818..63.75 # MIN 33 * 1to9only
.................1.....1..2..1.3..2..435.6..787..42.53.35.87.16.67..5.3818..63.75 # MIN 34 * 1to9only
.................1.....1.23..1.45.6..4.6.7.35.57..31.4..5.6...8412.78.568.6.54217 # MIN 35 * 1to9only
.................1.....1.23.14.52.6.52.78..148761.4.5..47..8.3525.4.7..66.8..5.47 # MIN 36 * 1to9only
.................1.....2345..1.67.8..7.1.86.3.86243.17.38.25..6.658.14..142.36..8 # MIN 37 * 1to9only
.....1..2.34....5.6.7.8.........76.9...2.65..9..3....7.4....97..6..4..2.8.19..... # MAX 26 * 1to9only
..1..2..3.2..4..5.4..6..7....4.8...5.1.5.48..8...17.2...98....1.6..7..9.5....93.. # MAX 29 * 1to9only
..1..2..3.2..4..5.4..6..7....5.6.8.4.1...95..3..8...19..7.1.3.5.8.3..9..5....8.6. # MAX 30 * 1to9only
........1.....2.....3...245.16.7.8.2432.68.178.7..1.64.61.85...2.81.3..63.5.26..8 # MAX 37 * 1to9only
i'm stopped!
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1to9only - Posts: 4229
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Re: MinMaxExercise
by m_b_metcalf » Tue May 12, 2026 3:40 pm
- Code: Select all
.....1..2.34....5.6.7.8.........79.6...2.95..9..3....7.5....67..8..4..2.4.16..... # MAX 26 * m_b_metcalf updated
..1..2..3.2..4..5.5..6..7....7.6...4.6...8.9.1..3..6....893.2...1.8...7.9...17..8 # MAX 29 * m_b_metcalf updated
.................1.....1.23.14.25.6.25.78..148761.4.5..47..8.3552.4.7..66.8..2.47 # MIN 36 * m_b_metcalf
Mike
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m_b_metcalf - 2017 Supporter
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