Feedback and Questions
I've received a lot of interesting comments and questions from Sudoku fans over the last few years and this page
is where I try to answer them. I'm also directing Str8ts feedback here. Please feel free to drop me a note on the side of the page. Or you can email me directly at andrew@str8ts.com.
Post a Comment or Question here...
Thursday 31-Dec-2009
... by: Ben, USA
Load Sudoku: CLICK TO LOADI was wondering if there was any way to purchase this solver for when I am not near the internet...I live in the wilderness for parts of the year and only have my laptop without internet. Is there a way to purchase it?
Thanks
Ben
bmcelvan@hotmail.com
To save the solver, in Internet Explorer, click File on the Menu Bar. (If the Menu Bar is not displayed, press the Alt key.) Click Save as. Change the type to Webpage complete and navigate to the folder where you want to save the solver. Click the Save button. The default name for the solver is Sudoku Solver by Andrew Stuart.
To use the solver while not connected to the internet, launch the solver from the saved location. Enter your puzzle the normal way, then press the "Take Step" button. If you get a No on step 7: Box/Line Reduction, do not press "Take Step" again. Save the puzzle by pressing the Save button. You must now solve at least one of the squares on your own, using advanced strategies, or just enter one of the candidates.
If you just enter a candidate, make a note of the number you chose. If you pick a wrong candidate and the solver later tells you that you have a error on the board, click Re-Load and try the other candidate.
If you just choose a candidate, to speed things up, try to choose a square with two candidates. Then, if you enter the wrong candidate, you have only one other candidate to try later.
More difficult puzzles may require entering candidates in two or three squares. When you get a second No to step 7, enter a candidate in another square and Take Step again.
Friday 18-Dec-2009
... by: AlanM, Australia
If so, why use both 'Square' and 'Box'.
Thanks for the alert
Tuesday 15-Dec-2009
... by: John Meyer (@dotnetzebra), Florida, USA
Tuesday 15-Dec-2009
... by: Joseph, US
If I know all of your basic, tough, and diabolical strategies, but don't go as far as any of your evil strategies that you list, what percentage of sudoku puzzles (in your opinion) do you think I could solve-80% of all puzzles that I would try? 85%? 90%? 95%? 99%?
What would you guess if you had to estimate? I know it's hard since there are literally trillions of puzzles, but easy, medium, tough, and many diabolical puzzles I can already solve with these current strategies, excluding your evil ones. Do you think the percentage of puzzles where you HAVE to use one or more evil strategies in order to solve the puzzle is a small percentage, perhaps 1%? 2%? 5%? 10%?
Just curious what your opinion is.
Fantastic sudoku site! I love it!!!
The Relative Incidence of Sudoku Strategies
Friday 13-Nov-2009
... by: Dufflepod, UK
http://omnibuzz-sql.blogspot.com/2009/11/solving-sudoku-using-sql-server-2005_12.html
Thought the more I.T. savvy of you would find this interesting.
Wednesday 4-Nov-2009
... by: Jack, Oz
Saturday 17-Oct-2009
... by: Bev, California
If by more than one chain - you mean lots of dead ends and branches, yes that is the nature of the beast.
Wednesday 14-Oct-2009
... by: Jerry, Virginia, USA
Another is non-unique configurations that involve more than four cells. The largest I have found to date is a ten-cell pattern in which candidates can be eliminated because otherwise the puzzle would have two solutions. These may be familiar to you. If you are interested, I would be glad to send examples.
Sunday 11-Oct-2009
... by: martin marko, slovakia
Load Sudoku: CLICK TO LOADKeep up the great site!
Martin
Friday 9-Oct-2009
... by: Craig, USA
Load Sudoku: CLICK TO LOADIt doesn't find the x-wing in columns 3 & 4 on 2's?
SINGLES CHAIN (Type 1): Removing 2 from H1
Making it beyond your board above