Author Topic: Mathematicians Solve Minimum Sudoku Problem
Scarne 
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Subject: Mathematicians Solve Minimum Sudoku Problem
http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/27469/

They used brute force to prove that all the puzzles with 16 clues (or fewer by simple inductive proof) have at least 2 solutions. grin

 

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Eternal_Midnight 
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Subject: Mathematicians Solve Minimum Sudoku Problem
Why would anyone want to know this?

 

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Ptilk 
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Subject: Mathematicians Solve Minimum Sudoku Problem
Why would anyone want to know the batting averages for every player on the 1952 Cubs? People do though.

This actually has some use...unlike the Cubs. tongue

 

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paulg_68 
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Subject: Mathematicians Solve Minimum Sudoku Problem
Eternal_Midnight posted:
Why would anyone want to know this?

Didn't read the article but I bet it was someone trying for their PHD in math.

It's tough to come up with an original thesis after a million other people got to choose theirs first.

nerd

 

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eodoll 
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Subject: Mathematicians Solve Minimum Sudoku Problem
Im interested to know whats the minimum number required to guarantee that there is only one unique solution? I guess its 18 or 19.

 

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paulg_68 
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Nah, it would be a lot more than that. Imagine if you just filled in all 27 on the three top sections. There would still be tons of possible solutions for the lower 54.

coffee

 

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ZigmundZag 
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Subject: Mathematicians Solve Minimum Sudoku Problem
eodoll posted:
Im interested to know whats the minimum number required to guarantee that there is only one unique solution? I guess its 18 or 19.
If all puzzles of 16 or fewer clues have two or more solutions, then I'm assuming the inverse is true - that a puzzle with at least 17 clues could have as few as 1 solution.

EDIT: Oh, I see what you're getting at now. Paul already answered it. Placement of the clues is key. You could make a poor Sudoku with probably half the clues and multiple solutions still available.

 

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eodoll 
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Interesting, so what would be the minimum number to guarantee that there is a unique solution? 70?

 

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ZigmundZag 
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Subject: Mathematicians Solve Minimum Sudoku Problem
Well, you could still have multiple solutions if all but two lines were complete and the two lines were blank...so that would be 63. If the cubes used their numbers in such a way that the undiscovered numbers used values that were already in the clues for the subset of 3 grids I think you could probably stretch it even further, maybe to 70. There's probably a mathematical way to get it all the way to 77 but I can't think of it.

 

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sweeny_comodore 
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Subject: Mathematicians Solve Minimum Sudoku Problem
did i ever mention that i hate numbers?

 

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paulg_68 
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That surprises no one swirly.

coffee

 

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sweeny_comodore 
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that doesnt mean im not good with them
it just means i find them boring and repetitious

chaos theory intrigues me but not the standard simpleton math that you all like

 

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paulg_68 
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Subject: Mathematicians Solve Minimum Sudoku Problem
How very Jurassic Park of you.

rolling_eyes

 

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sweeny_comodore 
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Subject: Mathematicians Solve Minimum Sudoku Problem
paulg_68 posted:
How very Jurassic Park of you.

rolling_eyes





nevermind
no need to repeat myself

 

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paulg_68 
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Subject: Mathematicians Solve Minimum Sudoku Problem
swirly_commode posted:
chaos theory intrigues me

I said something very similar to someone 15 years ago. When I heard myself I realized how pretentious it sounded and stopped saying stuff like that.

coffee

 

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NuEM 
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Subject: Mathematicians Solve Minimum Sudoku Problem
Then please never review your post history or we might lose a nice source of comical relief here.

 

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ZartanAround 
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Subject: Mathematicians Solve Minimum Sudoku Problem
sweeny_comodore posted:

 

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__Bonk__ 
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Subject: Mathematicians Solve Minimum Sudoku Problem
laugh

 

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imaloon1 
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Subject: Mathematicians Solve Minimum Sudoku Problem
Scarne posted:
http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/27469/

They used brute force to prove that all the puzzles with 16 clues (or fewer by simple inductive proof) have at least 2 solutions. grin



Like a real mathematical proof?



Man that's historic!


Edit: nm it's not....

 

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