Sudoku
Last month, our local newspaper, the Eugene Register-Guard added Sudoku to its puzzle page. Since Anne Marie and I frequently do the New York Times and "daily" crossword puzzles and the Jumble together, we noticed this new puzzle right away. Additionally, I've heard about Sudoku from people I know, who enjoy it.
Basically, it's a puzzle with number patterns that can only be filled in a certain way, based on the rules of the game and based on the numbers pre-filled on the puzzle grid. Although I love numbers, I didn't think I would enjoy it. Even so, I gave it a try this weekend and solved a puzzle. It was a tricky puzzle, but I can't know how tricky. All of the instructions I see say that the puzzles are rated from one to five stars in difficulty... for example a puzzle might have three of five stars blackened to show that it's a "3 star" puzzle. Unfortunately, the puzzle I did had six stars, all of which were neither all blackened or all white. What does that mean!?!
In any case, I found the puzzle very tedious. I developed a solving strategy within a few minutes and then spent the rest of the time robotically applying the algorithm to the puzzle until it was solved. A computer could have solved it, since it required only persistence and not creativity, in my opinion. (I might enjoy programming a computer to solve Sudoku. Hmmm.) So, it was hard for me to enjoy. I think the reason that I enjoy crosswords so much more is because it's "fuzzy". The clues are only (more or less, at times) related to the answers. Solutions require delving into memory and making best guesses. A computer program could not be written to do that. Plus, it's fun to do with Anne Marie.
I'm happy to say I tried it, but Sudoku is not for me.
No black stars is the easiest level, at least in the R-G.
-ajb
Comment by ajb — 11/02/2005 1:03 AM
The Project of Which We Shall Not Speak
If you don't strike oil in twenty minutes, stop boring. -- Andrew Carnegie Some of you might recall that recently I tried rebuilding my chimney by hand (albeit, almost literally in point of fact). When that failed, I tried to
Trackback by And So It Begins... — 11/03/2005 4:13 PM
If your first ever crossword was one of those easy ones, and you solved it without
much satisfaction never to look at another crossword, you would be missing out. No doubt
you have experienced the warm glow of finishing a truly hard crossword puzzle.
Sudoku is the same, or at least very similar. The hardest puzzles require numerous logical
twists and turns. I'd recommend finding a new source of sudoku puzzles. My favorite site
is Fiendish Soduku, which offers five levels of difficulty (clearly marked!). The hardest
puzzles might take you an hour or two, just like a good cryptic crossword. The site also has
an online solving grid with some very nice features: multiple grid sizes, pencilmarks, hints,
and step-by-step solutions with explanation.
Worth a look.
- Kristin
Comment by KristinW — 11/05/2005 7:12 PM
[...] Trying to find proof that a six-somewhat-black-star Sudoku puzzle (Difficulty Rating: ) is not a "0 of 5 star" puzzle, even though I don't know what it is. One appears to be in our newspaper every Saturday, so figuring out what it means shouldn't be that hard. [...]
Pingback by Following Edge » Cute Picture Day — 11/05/2005 9:36 PM
Checkout http://www.Printsudoku.com. It's a new website where you can find lots of sudokus in pdf format, and also you can play online. There is also Magic Sudokus. This site rocks!
Comment by meji — 11/11/2005 10:45 AM
[...] Sudoku von Michael Moore in englisch. [...]
Pingback by Kalyxo denkt » Sudoku - Zahlenrätsel mit Suchtpotenzial — 11/16/2005 1:22 PM
As a fellow programmer that was my exact impression of the "game" when I first saw it. Sounded like a cross word puzzle for computer? Nothing I would want to spend even a little brain power. Kind of the same way I feel about the game mind sweeper.
I found this python project that will both generate and solve these puzzles!
gO'
LINK:
http://osx.freshmeat.net/releases/213490/
Comment by Gabe O'Brien — 12/01/2005 3:54 PM