The New Sudoku Players' Forum

[apatt]

...|...|15.
24.|..7|...
..7|...|.9.
-----------
...|59.|34.
...|8.4|...
.51|.32|...
-----------
.8.|...|7..
...|3..|.64
.26|...|...

According to the solver at sudoku.sourceforge.net this puzzle (shown above) has multiple solutions. Is this true? Very unusual for a Times puzzle...

[SteveF]

I did it without any guesses, so I don't think there can be multiple solutions.

[simes]

It only has 1 solution.

Simes

[george-no1]

I just typed the puzzle into the solver and it verified that there is a unique solution. Perhaps you typed it in wrongly?

G

[apatt]

I probably did type it in wrongly. Sorry about that.

For testing purposes I ran it through a Palm OS solver and a Pocket PC solver. Both failed to solve it (I did check the typing carefully this time). I suppose it's a good one for testing solvers.

I solved it now (with a bit of help!), hopefully this is the one right solution:

6 3 8 | 2 4 9 | 1 5 7
2 4 9 | 1 5 7 | 6 3 8
5 1 7 | 6 8 3 | 4 9 2
-------+-------+------
8 7 2 | 5 9 6 | 3 4 1
9 6 3 | 8 1 4 | 2 7 5
4 5 1 | 7 3 2 | 9 8 6
-------+-------+------
1 8 4 | 9 6 5 | 7 2 3
7 9 5 | 3 2 1 | 8 6 4
3 2 6 | 4 7 8 | 5 1 9

(checked with Paulpages.co.uk and Angus J's Simple Sudoku)

I do tend to muck up sudokus when there are a lot of candidates to keep track of.

Thank you.