- Code: Select all
I----------------------I
I I
I I
I I-----------I
I I
I I
I----------I
consider the following variant of EM:
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100030002
090400050
006000700
040200100
500090030
000007006
700600000
030050090
002001000
After elementary propagation of constraints, we get a belt of 6 crosses with the above spine (only the contents of relevant cells are displayed):
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1_______578_____xxx_____ | xxx_____3_______xxx_____ | xxx_____1648____2_______
238_____9_______378_____ | 4_______xxx_____3_______ | 368_____5_______138_____
xxx_____258_____6_______ | xxx_____xxx_____xxx_____ | 7_______1648____1_______
_________________________|__________________________|_________________________
xxx_____4_______xxx_____ | 2_______68______xxx_____ | 1_______78______xxx_____
5_______xxx_____xxx_____ | 18______9_______468_____ | 248_____3_______478_____
xxx_____xxx_____xxx_____ | xxx_____148_____7_______ | xxx_____248_____6_______
_________________________|__________________________|_________________________
7_______158_____xxx_____ | 6_______248_____xxx_____ | xxx_____xxx_____xxx_____
468_____5_______148_____ | 78______5_______248_____ | xxx_____9_______xxx_____
xxx_____568_____2_______ | xxx_____478_____1_______ | xxx_____xxx_____xxx______
Inner candidates:
- in blocks 1 6 8 : 2 and 7
- in blocks 3 5 7 : 1 and 6
Outer candidates:
- horizontal:
in blocks 1 and 3 : 3 and 8
in blocks 6 and 5: 4 and 8
in blocks 8 and 7 : 4 and 8
- vertical:
in blocks 3 and 6 : 4 and 8
in blocks 5 and 8 : 4 and 8
in blocks 7 and 1 : 5 and 8
Rule x2y2-belt can be applied immediately. It leads to 22 eliminations.
But, as I explained in a previous post, x2y2-belts should be classified after quads, and (for 3D symmetry reasons) after the level I called L4_0.
Does this x2y2-belt survive quads? Contrary to my previous example (which didn't survive singles), it does. Here are the first stepts of the resolution path in L4_0 + x2y2-belts:
(my output function for belts is still rudimentary)
***** SudoRules version 13 *****
hidden-pairs-in-a-block {n3 n9}{r7c6 r9c4} ==> r9c4 <> 8, r7c6 <> 8, r7c6 <> 4
hidden-pairs-in-a-block {n5 n9}{r4c9 r6c7} ==> r6c7 <> 8, r6c7 <> 4, r6c7 <> 2, r4c9 <> 8, r4c9 <> 7
hidden-pairs-in-a-block {n3 n5}{r4c4 r6c6} ==> r6c6 <> 8, r6c6 <> 4, r4c4 <> 8
x2y2-belt24 in blocks 1 3 6 5 8 7 ==> r6c2 <> 8, r5c2 <> 8, r3c1 <> 2, r2c6 <> 8, r2c5 <> 8, r1c3 <> 7, r9c8 <> 8, r9c8 <> 4, r7c8 <> 8, r7c8 <> 4, r3c9 <> 1, r1c7 <> 6, r5c3 <> 8, r3c5 <> 8, r9c1 <> 6, r8c9 <> 8, r8c9 <> 4, r8c7 <> 8, r8c7 <> 4
naked-quads-in-a-block {n1 n2 n6 n7}{r7c8 r8c7 r9c8 r8c9} ==> r9c9 <> 7, r9c7 <> 6
swordfish-in-columns n6{r8 r4 r2}{c1 c5 c7} ==> r2c6 <> 6
This is interesting because this belt doesn't degenerate into quads. On the contrary all the eliminations it entails are needed before a quad appears.
The only problem with this example is that this puzzle has no solution (as was the case for my previous example).
The more I try to find an x2y2-belt with spine of length 6, the more I get convinced that it is impossible, but I have no proof.
Such impossibility would mean that Steve's pattern is a very rare one (unless we dilute it in general chains of subsets - which would amount to negating its beauty) and that it is intimately related to the very particular symmetries of the EM core.
(There may be millions of puzzles based on this core, but what's a million among billions of billions of minimal puzzles?)
Coloin, as you have worked on the EM core pattern, I've a question for you about the diagonals on which it is built. Is there any reason for choosing the first or second diagonal in each block? I mean: does it have any impact on the presence of Steve's pattern? (I couldn't find any reasoon why it would).
