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Topic:
sudoku, again
Replies:
34
Last Post:
Sep 24, 2011 8:41 PM
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Re: sudoku, again
Posted:
Sep 17, 2011 4:36 PM
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Mike Terry wrote:
>"Rock Brentwood" <federation2005@netzero.com> wrote in message >news:6c619e53-d125-494f-a3fb-13850c9a0aab@19g2000vbx.googlegroups.com... >[snip..] > > >>The REAL issue is that to solve a Sudoku grid, there are actually TWO >>parts: (a) find a solution (i.e. prove that one exists), but also (b) >>prove that it is the ONLY solution. >> >> > >I've never come across a sudoku variant where part of the objective was to >prove the solution is unique. In contrast, many sudoku puzzles actually >state up front that the solutions are unique as one of the puzzle >constraints, and the ones that don't do this *are* in fact always unique, >i.e. they have just made the constraint a "secret rule" of the puzzle >(grrrr!). >
It's no secret. But if there is not a unique solution, the solver by necessity gets to a point where the "next step" is no longer logically implied by the structure of the puzzle. That is, you have several equally valid guesses, all of which lead to a solution. That defeats the whole purpose of the puzzle.
-- Stephen J. Herschkorn sjherschko@netscape.net Math Tutor on the Internet and in Central New Jersey and Manhattan
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