The New Sudoku Players' Forum

[Fleury]

Just finished a puzzle published in spanish magazine"Hola" dated Sept 8,05 and found no less than 4 perfectly valid solutions.
Who said there was only one sokution per puzzle?
Dan

[PaulIQ164]

If there's more than one solution, that must mean the puzzle came from a bad source (in fact, a very bad source - a monkey with a dartboard, perhaps). If you post the puzzle, we can check your assessment and share in your righteous indignation. Go on - it'll be fun!

[Fleury]

FINE, HERE WE GO, TIGER

PLENTY OF CLUES (30) AND 4 SOLUTIONS


7 - - l - - - l 2 - -
4 5 - l 1 2 8l 3 - -
- - - l - - - l 1 4 -

-============
- 4 - l 2 8 7l - 3 -
- - 3 l - 4 - l - 2 8
- 8 - l - - - l - - -

============
9 - - l - - 6 l - - -
8 1 7l - - 2 l 9 6 4
- - - l - - 4 l - - -

[Pi]

That is a joke, i have already found 8 solutions and i wm sure that there are more.

I am using my assistant spreadsheet and i am just guessing all the numbers and i haven't failed yet

8 work out of eight attempts and each attenpt uses about 5 guesses

what a farse.

I haven't got time to fully analyse it now but i will tomorrow and try to work out how many solutions there actually are.

I recon upwards of 200.

Does this magazine have a website?

[Moschopulus]

158 solutions. Get your money back!

[Fleury]

He, he, I seem to have wet your appetite!
158 solutions I cannot believe it. How can you assess that so precisely?

Here is another one which was published in a book (spanish again) about Sudoku and rated "diabolical". I have found 2 solutions, by hand. I am curious to know how many Moshopulus would find

1 - - l - - - l - - 4
2 4 5l - - - l 7 - 8
- 3 -l 5 - - l - - -
============
9 - - l - - 3 l 1 - -
- - - l 8 - 7 l - - -
- - 7 l 6 - - l - - 2
=============
- - - l - - 9 l - 4 -
4 - 2 l - - - l 6 5 3
3 - - l - - - l - - 9

[Fleury]

The real question is whether multiple solutions Sudokus should be absolutely ruled out or whether they could just be an extension of the game

For my money, if I find puzzles that tell me upfront: "there are 2... or 3 or 4 solutions to this puzzle", I'll try to find them all and enjoy the exercise. I agree though that 158 may be on the high side.

Opinions?

Dan

[simes]

I have found 2 solutions, by hand. I am curious to know how many Moshopulus would find

He would find only 1, so what are your 2 solutions?

S

[Fleury]

Simes, what a peremptory affirmation

Let's split the work. Why don't you submit your "unique"solution and I will be more than happy to complement it with a second .

Dan

[gfroyle]

The given puzzle has only one solution, as simes asserts, so I think it's a fair assumption that Moschopulus will only be able to find one...

Here it is:

Code: Select all

1 6 9  7 8 2  5 3 4 
2 4 5  9 3 1  7 6 8 
7 3 8  5 4 6  9 2 1 

9 8 4  2 5 3  1 7 6 
6 2 3  8 1 7  4 9 5 
5 1 7  6 9 4  3 8 2 

8 5 1  3 6 9  2 4 7 
4 9 2  1 7 8  6 5 3 
3 7 6  4 2 5  8 1 9


Cheers

Gordon

[simes]

Simes, what a peremptory affirmation

Sorry, it was a little curt of me. But, as gfroyle points out, the puzzle only has one solution.

So, do you still want to post the other one?

S

[evert]

The real question is whether multiple solutions Sudokus should be absolutely ruled out or whether they could just be an extension of the game

Can somebody think of a better name for puzzles where you have to fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9 and that have more than one solution than sudoku?

[nj3h]

sodoFU

[Moschopulus]

The name sudoku means "single number", or I have also seen "number singly" and "the number must occur once only" and "the number must be single" as translations.

If we can find out the Japanese for "married number" or "many numbers" or "more than one number" then maybe we'll get a name.

[Pi]

I agree that that puzzle has only on esulotion, although it shouldn;t be classed as a difficult puzzle as no advanced techniques are required to solve it

I asume that the reason that the puzzle originally posted had so many solutions was because a clue number had been missed out


As for getting a new name i disagree, the alone in sudoku sureley referes to there only being one of each digit in each row collum and mini grid