Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Sudoku: Is it Just a Game of Logic?

Sudoku puzzle with solution numbers marked in red.Image via Wikipedia


Over the years, the Sudoku game has gained great popularity. If you often play the game, then you have probably have an idea why the game is such extraordinary and fun to play. If you haven’t played the game, on the other hand, surely you will be asking a lot of questions about the unusual puzzle.

I’ll bet that when you first heard of the puzzle, the first thing that comes to your mind is mathematics. Well, the game does not have anything to do with mathematics or math skills. The puzzle is basically a logic exercise and it just all about of logic. The numbers comprising the game will have nothing to do about addition, multiplication, subtraction and division stuffs. The Sudoku puzzle doesn’t require such fundamentals. The game has to do with logic itself alone.

Sudoku puzzle requires logical reasoning and provides your brain cells a lot of pretty fine workout. However, let me back you a little bit. You basically need to fill up corresponding numbers to the puzzle grid. Every column and row should contain of any digit ranging from 1 to 9. The easiest way to understand is maybe to check and browse on through online sites wherein there are posted ideas and information of the game’s basics. It’s absolutely amazingly easy to play.

There is really no proper place to play the Sudoku puzzle. One can when shut his eyes and simply just start putting your finger on the game, and that would be a right place as any. Possible the most rational and logical place to begin is any place in a column, row or any square which has a few numbers inside it.

The aid of simple logic to the puzzle needs only focused visual analysis along with a mind question if certain number can go to the box. I presume that the most essential distinct is that Sudoku is a logic puzzle. It is not a puzzle of obscure knowledge as well as literate mischievousness. Logic is not much as your bag. You will probably choose to mingle with one’s valuable, careful creation than interact with a buck of numbers argued out by computer software.

The reality that you need to decipher the puzzle only with the aid of logic also entails a particular solution. For the game to have numerous solutions, the logic though alone cannot help you put in numbers in the boxes. Sometimes, it is better to ignore logic and just simply presume or make a guess. Furthermore, if your presumption is correct, you will still need to think back and make other presumptions for you to make sure that no right guesses were made. You should only rely on the presumptions that were made incorrectly, given that such guesses could be incorrect for the entire solutions and so in the long run you will be having a set of boxes which may not be decisively filled. Thus, there is basically nothing left from the guesses of a distinct solution.

In fact, there is nothing logical in doubting the distinctness of the solution. You could believe it every piece and also you can believe whatever on the first board whether if it is a legitimate Sudoku puzzle or an invalid one. If the initial circumstances are incorrect, the outcome will be incorrect. If there are numerous solutions, even a monster force would be unsuccessful to get rid of other candidates.

Most puzzle solvers differentiate between puzzles that are deciphered with logic alone and puzzles that are solved by guesses or trial-and-error technique. Solving by logic, you will not put in a number into a square until you have thought about it or you have proven that such number is right for that position. When guessing, on the other hand, you will write a number hesitantly and just discover the consequences, you will probably be backtracking, not consider your number choice then put in another. A backtracker can work with a pencil and eraser while a logic solver requires a pen.

The peculiarity between logic and guessing appears to be a potential criterion for assessing the Sudoku puzzle difficulty. However, it is vague though that the peculiarity does exist.

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