The true min lex [ as referenced] is technically superior in may ways although needs a clean line end of string to function.
The solution grid min lex has the drawback that any manual solver wont be able to unsee the initial clues in the first line to aid solving !!!
But it does allow for comparing non-minimal puzzles [ of the same expanded stem] from the same solution grid.
My observation would be that we have two groups of puzzles
1 the original minimal puzzles with 20-25 clues which have a hard early initial step
2 the loki puzzles with triagdon pattern which typically have 25-29 clues, which tend to expand with singles to 30-35 clues.
Some of recently found puzzles with high BnB tend to not expand as much and have therefore have less minimal puzzles from the expand.
Looking for 21 and lower clue puzzles.... I even found 19 clue puzzles with the clue pattern.
- Code: Select all
+---+---+---+ +---+---+---+
|8..|.4.|...| |89.|.4.|.67|
|...|7..|.9.| |...|7.6|.9.|
|.6.|5..|4..| |76.|598|4..|
+---+---+---+ +---+---+---+
|.4.|.5.|..6| |.48|.57|9.6|
|...|.8.|...| |.7.|.89|...|
|..9|...|.7.| |..9|...|.7.|
+---+---+---+ +---+---+---+
|.8.|9..|...| |.8.|97.|3..|
|...|.6.|...| 19 clues |...|.65|789|
|..7|...|.12| ED=7.2 |957|834|612|
+---+---+---+ Expands to 43 clues +---+---+---+
Here is a diamond 21 clue puzzle with the necessary clue distribution [1 and 2 only in box 9], so it is possible !
- Code: Select all
+---+---+---+
|8..|...|...|
|9.4|..7|..8|
|.6.|...|.5.|
+---+---+---+
|...|85.|.69|
|...|...|.45|
|...|...|...|
+---+---+---+
|5..|9..|...|
|48.|.6.|...|
|..7|...|.12| 21 clues
+---+---+---+ ED=8.4/8.4/8.3
Finding a puzzle which doesnt have singles to start but has the triagadon pattern remains elusive.
EDIT - The [expanded] B10B and B13B puzzles morphed to show the clue distribution and the thors hammer [!] are wildly different from the 21 clue of course.
- Code: Select all
+---+---+---+
|45.|.79|6..|
|6.7|8.4|...|
|.89|56.|7..|
+---+---+---+
|.46|..5|...|
|5.8|49.|...|
|97.|.86|...|
+---+---+---+
|895|...|47.|
|...|...|.2.|
|...|...|..1|
+---+---+---+ B10B
+---+---+---+
|45.|.69|...|
|6.7|4.8|5..|
|.89|57.|6..|
+---+---+---+
|.75|69.|...|
|8.6|.45|...|
|94.|8..|.56|
+---+---+---+
|7..|...|..5|
|...|9..|..3|
|...|...|.21|
+---+---+---+ B13B
