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Aligned Pair Exclusion

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This is an interesting strategy, known by the short-hand as APE, since it overlaps with Y-Wings and XYZ-Wings but uses very different logic. APE logic will solve an XY-Wing (3 bi-values) and an XYZ-Wing (bi-value <-> tri-value <-> bi-value).
There are two types of APE - the normal APE and Extended APE.

Aligned Pair Exclusion - Type 1

The Aligned Pair Exclusion can be succinctly stated: Any two cells aligned on a row or column within the same box CANNOT duplicate the contents of any two-candidate cell they both see.

The Y-Wing strategy has some diagrams (see Figure 2) to show how cells can see other cells along the row, column or box and how they intersect or overlap. In Figure 1 [F8/F9] (ringed in green) are the two cells we want to reduce and both cells can see the yellow, green and orange cells.

Lets consider all the possible pairs of numbers that will fit in [F8/F9].
Excluding 1/1 and 6/6 (which are impossible), these are:

1 and 5
1 and 6
2 and 1
2 and 5
2 and 6
6 and 1
6 and 5
9 and 1
9 and 5
9 and 6
APE example 1
APE example 1: Load Example or : From the Start
If any of the these pair solutions were true we'd be able to remove those solutions from the candidates in all the other highlighted squares. The strategy asks us to look at all the bi-value cells [F8/F9] can 'see'. Cells E7, E8 and F5 containing 2/5 and 2/6 and 1/2 match some of the options we have for [F8/F9]. Any of these pairs would remove ALL candidates from one of our coloured cells which is illogical, Captain. This means we can exclude them from possible solutions for [F8/F9]. This leaves us with a shorter list:

1/5, 1/6, 6/1, 9/1, 9/5 and 9/6.

What are we left with? According to our new list 2 has been excluded completely from the pairs so it can't be a solution in [F8/F9], therefore we can remove it.

Credits - Rod Hagglund first popularised this method. (links now dead).

Aligned Pair Exclusion - Type 2

The Extended Aligned Pair Exclusion includes tri-values spread over two cells as part of the attack. APE 2 Says that any two cells with only abc excludes combinations ab, ac and bc from the pair under consideration.

This example is very clear since tri-value in [D9/F9] is conveniently 5/6/9 in both cells. (see next example for alternative tri-value formations).

Lets consider all the possible pairs of numbers in [H9/J9] first. These are:

1 and 3
6 and 3
9 and 3
1 and 9
6 and 9
9 and 9 (impossible)
Extended APE example 1
Extended APE example 1: Load Example or : From the Start
Cell J7 removes a 3/6 as a pair.
Cell G8 also removes 1/9 as a pair.

Now the tri-value: These are 5/6, 5/9 and 6/9. Removing these from the possibles for [H9/J9] leaves us:

1 and 3
6 and 3
9 and 3
1 and 9
6 and 9

1 and 3 only fit one way round (cell H9 then J9). Likewise 3 and 9 only fit in J9 and H9. So we can confidently remove 6 from H9 and 9 from J9.

So the double cells with three values gives us a great deal more pairs to use to whittle down the target cells. And indeed these are more common, so look out for them if you plan to use APE.


In this second example there are two-cell tri-value groups. [A4/B4] containing 6/8/9 gives us the combinations 6/8, 6/9 and 8/9 while [A2/A9] gives us 1/5, 5/9 and 1/9.

All the possible pairs of numbers in the target cells [A5/A6] are:

5 and 4
5 and 9 - excluded by [A2/A9]
6 and 4
6 and 9 - excluded by [A4/B4]
8 and 4
8 and 9 - excluded by [A4/B4]

So that removes 9 from any combinated and we can place 4 in A6 and crack on with the puzzle.
Extended APE example 2
Extended APE example 2: Load Example or : From the Start
Credits: Myth Jellies came up with the insight for Type 2.


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Article created on 11-April-2008. Views: 46731
This page was last modified on 27-February-2012, at 08:08.
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Copyright Andrew Stuart @ Syndicated Puzzles Inc, 2012