Need for trial and error?

Advanced methods and approaches for solving Sudoku puzzles

Need for trial and error?

Postby Robert Eskin » Mon Aug 22, 2005 12:54 am

I have a general question. I am familiar with most of the basic methods. I do the puzzles in the Boston Globe, and am able to do the easy and moderate ones (ie. Monday-Wednesday and generally Thursday) with relative ease, but have found that on Friday and Saturday it appears that you run out of forced moves. In regard to yesterday's puzzle (August 20th) I ended up getting it by using trial and error, sort of like a mouse in a maze.

? = is that part of "the game" in regard to harder puzzles, or does that mean I missed something?
Robert Eskin
 
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Joined: 21 August 2005

Postby Doyle » Mon Aug 22, 2005 1:32 am

If the Boston Globe is publishing Sudokus from Pappocom, you don't need T/E to solve any of them, right up to and including the Sunday "Hards". There are some fairly basic non-T/E deductive tactics that can handle any of them. You can persist and discover these for yourself, or you can take a shortcut and study some of the excellent tutorials that are on the web. A good one, by simes of this board, is http://www.simes.clara.co.uk/programs/sudokutechniques.htm. Read that up to and including "Hidden Subset", you don't need "X-Wings" or beyond, although X-Wings are easy enough, and useful.
Doyle
 
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