Reply to: Sudoku Query

[BrilloPad]

I found Sudoku proper too dull - I wrote solver in Excel, so really it's far too easy. Killer seems less susceptible. I've seen a few solvers but they don't work on the really difficult ones. Killer seems to involve more lateral thinking.

Crosswords - when I was on a very slow contract, we used to do the Times. At the end of six months, I could usually do it within 15 minutes. The Listener crossword, on the other hand, is much more challenging. I've only ever solved 3 of the non-numeric ones. Sometimes, I don't even understand the preamble.

I al;so wrote my own sudoku solver. Though I never got a far as solving x-wing or triple x-wing. I wish I had that much time.....

[Lockhouse]

I found Sudoku proper too dull - I wrote solver in Excel, so really it's far too easy. Killer seems less susceptible. I've seen a few solvers but they don't work on the really difficult ones. Killer seems to involve more lateral thinking.

Crosswords - when I was on a very slow contract, we used to do the Times. At the end of six months, I could usually do it within 15 minutes. The Listener crossword, on the other hand, is much more challenging. I've only ever solved 3 of the non-numeric ones. Sometimes, I don't even understand the preamble.

In an average week I'd finish The Times twice, get close once and be nowhere the other two days. I've switched to The Telegraph now as I sometimes like to read the paper as well and I'm just getting to grips with the crosswords there.

You are right about lateral thinking for killer Sudoku. There is pattern recognition involved and several different methods of number placement evaluation which you don't have in Sudoku which is much more straightforward to solve. For the more difficult Killers I would definitely see problems writing a solver program.

[NotAllThere]

Another Killer Sudoku fan here. Normal ones just don't do it for me.

I found Sudoku proper too dull - I wrote solver in Excel, so really it's far too easy. Killer seems less susceptible. I've seen a few solvers but they don't work on the really difficult ones. Killer seems to involve more lateral thinking.

Crosswords - when I was on a very slow contract, we used to do the Times. At the end of six months, I could usually do it within 15 minutes. The Listener crossword, on the other hand, is much more challenging. I've only ever solved 3 of the non-numeric ones. Sometimes, I don't even understand the preamble.

[Lockhouse]

Another Killer Sudoku fan here. Normal ones just don't do it for me.

[Churchill]

I've got a little application on my PDA that generates sudoku puzzles called Superdoku, it's very enjoyable on the harder levels.

I don't see sudoku as terrifically challenging it's just a nice mental diversion which is probably what it's designed for.

Good fun as a personal entertainment.

So's pot noodling!

[NickFitz]

Back in the late Seventies a new local paper (actually a re-branded old local paper) was launched in the town where I then lived. It featured a cryptic crossword with a prize - a twenty quid book token, or some such. Unfortunately, in the very first edition, they printed the wrong grid for the clues.

Seven readers managed to work out what the grid should have been and submitted hand-drawn entries

They gave all of them a prize, and quite right too

[Sysman]

Me too.

It was originally coined by Ximenes

I see that Azed gets a mention. I stopped bothering with the Observer crossword 20 years ago when I found I could do it as fast as I could write the answers down.

I liked to do the Telegraph crossword on the way home when I was commuting by train. There was just enough time to do most or all of it before my destination and it was a good way to switch off from work.

[Zippy]

ok smartie pants's


clue:-
SaSGuru, cranker of the marigold glove


_ _ k _ _

Think you are one character short EO

[EternalOptimist]

ok smartie pants's


clue:-
SaSGuru, cranker of the marigold glove


_ _ k _ _

[NickFitz]

I just wanted to brag that I know this EO, but I won't spoil it for anyone that doesn't.

Me too.

It was originally coined by Ximenes

[malvolio]

WHS.

[stackpole]

clue:-

hijklmno

_ _ t _ _

I just wanted to brag that I know this EO, but I won't spoil it for anyone that doesn't.

[EternalOptimist]

clue:-

hijklmno

_ _ t _ _

[RichardCranium]

What's more, rather than filling in each individual word, I went across the rows.

Back when I did the Evening News, and then Evening Standard, crosswords every day, I used to only put in the letters at the junctions.

With the Evening Standard Quick Crossword on the back page, they only had two or three compilers and a finite number of clues. I used to be able to do 3/4s of the answers without pausing.

I used to stare at it on the underground until I had all the answers worked out, then, when I got on the packed train at Euston, mumble "Better do the crossword, I suppose" and fill the whole thing in one hit, in the order of the clues.


At the other end of the scale was the Maths teacher we had at school who would do the Times Cryptic at lunchtime when on duty in the playground. Once or twice a month he would have a clue he couldn't solve and he would be in a foul mood all afternoon.

[BrilloPad]

I far prefer killer sudoku as there are some actual maths involved.