What are hidden numbers in Sudoku?

What is a hidden pair in Sudoku? A hidden pair is when you have the same two digits pencil marked in precisely two cells within the same row, column, or block. What makes them 'hidden' is that there is at least one other digit also pencil marked in at least one of these cells.

How do you find hidden numbers in Sudoku?

Looking for hidden groups

If you're looking for hidden pairs, you're looking for two numbers which only exist in two cells within that area – even though there will be other candidates in the same cell “hiding” them. For triples, you'll be looking for three cells, and so on.

What is an example of a hidden pair in Sudoku?

Hidden Pairs can be buried under lots of other candidates as shown in the right example: r1c12 is a Hidden Pair for candidates 4 and 7 (in this case they are hidden in row 1 and in block 1), but those cells house another 10 candidates, which can all be eliminated.

What is the rule of 3 in Sudoku?

If three candidates can be found in only the same three Cells of a region (Row, Column or Square), then one of these candidates is the solution for the first of these Cells, a second one is the solution for the second Cell and the last candidate is the solution for the third Cell.

What is an example of a hidden triple?

Hidden Triples

A Triple will consist of three pairs of numbers lying in three cells in the same row, column or box, such as [4,8,9], [4,8,9] and [4,8,9].

Sudoku. Tutorial #23 Hidden Matching pairs and other techniques.

What is a hidden triple?

"Hidden triples" applies when three cells in a row, column, or 3x3 block contain the same three Notes. These three cells also contain other candidates, which may be removed from them. It will be easier to understand this technique if you look at the example. Take a look at the highlighted cells.

What is not allowed in Sudoku?

You can use only numbers from 1 to 9. Each 3×3 block can only contain numbers from 1 to 9. Each vertical column can only contain numbers from 1 to 9. Each horizontal row can only contain numbers from 1 to 9.

What is the 45 rule in Sudoku?

The 45 rule is a basic solving-technique in Killer Sudoku. Each house (row, column, nonet) must add to 45 (the sum of the digits 1 through 9).

Is Sudoku good for the brain?

Sudoku keeps your brain active and reduces the risk of Alzheimer's, a most common cause of dementia that affects a person's thinking and behavioural skills. Stimulates your mind: The game works on your logical thinking process as you are absorbed in solving a puzzle and eventually improve your number skills.

What is a fish in Sudoku?

Nowadays, any single-digit pattern that compares 2 partially overlapping constraint sets of equal size is called a fish. In standard Sudoku, the sets can contain rows, columns, and boxes. In Sudoku Variations with additional constraints, any combination is possible.

What is the most clues in Sudoku?

An ordinary puzzle with a unique solution must have at least 17 clues, but this is not mathematically proven. There is a solvable puzzle with at most 21 clues for every solved grid, with the largest minimal puzzle found so far has 40 clues in the 81 cells.

Are there unsolvable Sudoku puzzles?

Realistically, no! There are 6,670,903,752,021,072,936,960 possible solvable Sudoku grids that yield a unique result (that's 6 sextillion, 670 quintillion, 903 quadrillion, 752 trillion, 21 billion, 72 million, 936 thousand, 960 in case you were wondering). That's way more than the number of stars in the universe.

What is a ghost number in Sudoku?

Ghost numbers are empty cells in a row, column or box that are the only cells that can hold a specific digit. Ghost numbers can be used to narrow down the possible places in other rows, columns or boxes where the same digit can exist.

What is the magic number in Sudoku?

Now Gary McGuire, a mathematician at University College Dublin, has come up with what he says is a proof that finds the minimum number of clues, or starting digits, needed to complete the game is 17.

Why do the numbers turn red in Sudoku?

We can see a 4 in the upper left square (circled in red) so that means the blank space in the center of the top square must be number 3, and the lower right space must be number 4 (both marked in blue). Suddenly, we've solved a whole column and another whole square at the top center of the grid, as shown below.

What is Sudoku rule of 1?

Rule 1 - Each row must contain the numbers from 1 to 9, without repetitions. The player must focus on filling each row of the grid while ensuring there are no duplicated numbers. The placement order of the digits is irrelevant. Every puzzle, regardless of the difficulty level, begins with allocated numbers on the grid.

What is the one rule in Sudoku?

Sudoku Rule № 1: Use Numbers 1-9

Within the rows and columns are 9 “squares” (made up of 3 x 3 spaces). Each row, column and square (9 spaces each) needs to be filled out with the numbers 1-9, without repeating any numbers within the row, column or square.

What is the least clues in Sudoku?

Sudoku fanatics have long claimed that the smallest number of starting clues a puzzle can contain is 17. Now a year-long calculation proves there are no 16-clue puzzles. Sudoku is a number puzzle consisting of a 9 x 9 grid in which some cells contain clues in the form of digits from 1 to 9.

Why am I not good at Sudoku?

Whatever the reason, many Sudoku beginners are making a mistake, because they're not spending enough time looking at squares. Squares (there are 9 of them on the grid, and each contains 9 spaces) are a great place to look for opportunities to place numbers, because each square is made up of other rows and columns.

What is the average time to solve a Sudoku?

It can be incredibly challenging to solve a Sudoku puzzle. That's what makes it fun. It is believed that the average Sudoku player spends approximately 20 minutes solving a typical Sudoku puzzle. For very hard puzzles, that number can be much higher.

What is a swordfish in Sudoku?

A Swordfish is a 3 by 3 nine-cell pattern where a candidate is found on three different rows (or three columns) and they line up in the opposite direction. Eventually we will fix three candidates somewhere in those cells which excludes all other candidates in those units.

What is the quadruple rule Sudoku?

Rules of Quadruple Sudoku

The object of the puzzle is to fill in the whole 9x9 grid with numbers 1 through 9 (one number per cell) so that each row, each column, and each of the nine 3x3 boxes contains all the nine different numbers 1 through 9.

What to do when you are stuck on a Sudoku puzzle?

Check your puzzle for 3 separate rows or columns where a potential digit can only fit into 2 or 3 cells in each. You should be able to connect the cells if you drew lines through the columns and rows. After you connect all of the cells you can erase the potential candidate from any other cells in those rows or columns.

Is there a pattern to Sudoku?

Patterns are essentially a series of completed numbers (either givens or numbers that have been filled in) in a specific order in one of the boxes on the sudoku grid. Patterns help you organize the remaining numbers and eliminate possibilities in a box, and in related boxes, rows and columns.