What is a unique solution in Sudoku?

Another interesting question (that you may have considered when solving the above exercise) is how many distinct symbols need to be used among the givens for a puzzle to be well-formed? It turns out that for a Sudoku of rank n, at least n²-1 distinct symbols must be used for the puzzle to have a unique solution.

How many unique Sudoku solutions are there?

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 the unique rectangle rule in Sudoku?

A "Unique Rectangle" (UR) consists of four cells that occupy exactly two rows, two columns, and two boxes. All four cells have the same two candidates left (in real sudokus not all cells have to hold all of the UR candidates, see below).

How do you make a unique Sudoku?

Does every Sudoku have a unique solution?

Ordinary Sudokus (proper puzzles) have a unique solution. A minimal Sudoku is a Sudoku from which no clue can be removed leaving it a proper Sudoku. Different minimal Sudokus can have a different number of clues. This section discusses the minimum number of givens for proper puzzles.

Sudoku Tutorial #40 A must know technique.

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).

What is the hidden triple rule in Sudoku?

"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.

What is rule of 2 Sudoku?

Rule 2 - Each column must contain the numbers from 1 to 9, without repetitions. The Sudoku rules for the columns on the grid are exactly the same as for the rows. The player must also fill these with the numbers from 1 to 9, making sure each digit occurs only once per column.

What is the ambiguity rule in Sudoku?

During this process the designer must be careful not to remove two numbers that would cause an ambiguity (where those two numbers could be swapped and the puzzle could be completed two different ways, therefore having two solutions). This is what is called the sudoku ambiguity rule.

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.

Can all Sudoku puzzles be solved without guessing?

The short answer is yes. Every proper Sudoku puzzle can be solved without ever having to make a guess. Another way of thinking about it is that every Sudoku puzzle can be solved logically. Even though it may require highly complicated solving techniques you're not familiar with.

What is the 159 rule in Sudoku?

Normal sudoku rules apply: Each row, column, and region indicated by thick borders in the grid must contain the digits 1 to 9 once each. 159: Digits in column 1 indicate the column in which the digit 1 appears in that row (e.g. if r4c1 is a 6, r4c6 is a 1).

What is an example of an unsolvable Sudoku?

Here is an example of a puzzle which can not be solved, consider square Gg, all squares in row G are allocated except for this one, so according to this row Gg must take a 9, as it is the only choice in the row. But Dg is already set to 9 and another 9 can not go in Gg as column g would then have two 9s in it.

How do you know if a Sudoku is unsolvable?

Solvable A sudoku puzzle is solvable if there is only one way to fill in a sudoku board to make it valid. Cell A cell is a position on the Sudoku board. Cells contain cell values and pencil-marks (denoted by (n, {a, b, ..., j}) with n the value of the cell and {a, b, ..., j} the set of pencil-marks).

Can you play too much Sudoku?

Sudoku is good for the mind – that is undisputed – but should be practiced in moderation. If you find that Sudoku is taking away from your life rather than adding to it, that is when it becomes an unhealthy addiction. If Sudoku is merely adding value and fun to your life, you're suffering from a healthy addiction.

What do two dots in Sudoku mean?

Normal sudoku rules apply. White dots between two cells indicate consecutive digits and black dots between two cells indicate a ratio of 1:2.

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 an evil Sudoku puzzle?

What is Sudoku Evil? Sudoku evil is a 9×9 grid sudoku puzzle with the highest possible level of difficulty. It's an advanced level only for experienced sudoku solvers.

Is 6 minutes good for Sudoku?

5 minutes is more than enough time to jump start your brain, re-evaluate your Sudoku strategy, and develop a new perspective on how to view the Sudoku grid. So “take 5” and give yourself a new chance at solving Sudoku puzzles!

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.

Is 7 minutes good for Sudoku?

The good sudoku time is one where one is able to solve a complex sudoku game which is in itself a combination of 5 or more sudokus. From the competition point of view, the lesser time one takes the better it is. For very hard say 5 to 7 minutes should be great.

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.