The New Sudoku Players' Forum

[quillpig]

Hi folks,

I am still pretty new at solving sudoku, so I decided to sign up for the newsletter at www.howtosolvesudokupuzzles.com
The first "newsletter" includes a link to a set of 4x4 puzzles to learn basic techniques (www.howtosolvesudokupuzzles.com/olacc/order2.php]). The third puzzle at this link seems to have 2 solutions, which I have been led to believe is not good puzzle construction. This would seem to cast doubt on the usefulness of these puzzles as a teaching device.

Am I missing something here?

QP

[PaulIQ164]

I agree that the puzzle has two solutions - the 3s and 4s in rows 2 and 4 can go either way round. It doesn't mean that 4x4 puzzles in general are a bad way to learn - this is just a single rotten apple.

[rubylips]

It gets worse! Puzzles 5 and 6 have multiple solutions whereas 7 has none! Only three of the seven 2x2 puzzles presented here are valid!

[PaulIQ164]

Tsk!

[quillpig]

I'm starting to think that our self-described "Sudoku Xpert" may be a bit of a fraud...

[Pi]

whoever made these puzzles obviously didn't test them.

Which is dumb as they only take a few seconds each. As for puzzle 7, that is just ridiculous. It is wrong to give those puzzles to beginners as they will think they aren't doing it right