How to solve Sudoku of any complexity

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

Many people like to force themselves to think: someone - to develop intelligence, someone - to keep their brains in good shape (yes, not only the body needs exercise), and various games are the best simulator for the mind on logic and puzzles. One of the options for such educational entertainment can be called Sudoku. However, some have not heard about such a game, let alone knowledge of the rules or other interesting points. Thanks to the article, you will learn all the necessary information, for example, how to solve Sudoku, as well as their rules and types.

General

Sudoku is a puzzle. Sometimes complex, difficult to reveal, but always interesting and addictive for any person who decides to play this game. The name comes from Japanese: "su" means "number", and "doku" is "standing apart".

Not everyone knows how to solve Sudoku. Complex puzzles, for example, are within the power of either smart, well-thinking beginners, or professionals in their field who have been practicing the game for more than one day. Just take it and solve the task in five minutes will not be possible for everyone.

Rules

So, how to solve Sudoku. The rules are very simple and clear, easy to remember. However, do not think that simple rules promise a "painless" solution; you will have to think a lot, apply logical and strategic thinking, strive to recreate the picture. You probably need to love numbers to solve Sudoku.

First, a 9 x 9 square is drawn. Then, with thicker lines, it is divided into so-called "regions" of three squares each. The result is 81 cells, which should eventually be completely filled with numbers. This is where the difficulty lies: the numbers from 1 to 9 placed around the entire perimeter should not be repeated either in the “regions” (squares 3 x 3), or in the lines vertically and / or horizontally. In any Sudoku, there are initially some filled cells. Without this, the game is simply impossible, because otherwise it will turn out not to solve, but to invent. The difficulty of the puzzle depends on the number of digits. Complex Sudokus contain few numbers, often arranged in such a way that you have to rack your brains before solving them. In the lungs - about half of the numbers are already in place, making it much easier to guess.

Fully disassembled example

It's hard to understand how to solve a Sudoku if there is no specific sample showing step by step how, where and what to insert. The picture provided is considered simple, since manythe mini-squares are already filled with the required numbers. By the way, it is on them that we will rely on for the solution.

For starters, you can look at the lines or squares, where there are especially many numbers. For example, the second column from the left fits perfectly, there are only two numbers missing. If you look at those that are already there, it becomes obvious that there are not enough 5 and 9 in the empty cells on the second and eighth lines. Not everything is clear with the five yet, it can be both there and there, but if you look at the nine, everything becomes clear. Since the second line already has the number 9 (in the seventh column), it means that in order to avoid repetitions, the nine must be put down to the 8th line. Using the elimination method, add 5 to the 2nd row - and now we already have one filled column.

You can solve the whole Sudoku puzzle in a similar way, but in more complex cases, when one column, row or square lacks not a couple of numbers, but much more, you will have to use a slightly different method. We will also analyze it now.

This time we will take as a basis the average “region”, which lacks five digits: 3, 5, 6, 7, 8. We fill each cell not with large effective numbers, but with small, “rough” numbers. We just write in each box those numbers that are missing and that may be there due to their lack. In the upper cell, these are 5, 6, 7 (3 on this line is already in the “region” on the right, and 8 on the left); in the cell on the left there can be 5, 6, 7; in the very middle - 5, 6, 7; on the right - 5, 7, 8; bottom - 3, 5,6.

So, now let's see which mini-digits contain different numbers. 3: there is only in one place, in the rest it is not. So, it can be corrected for a large one. 5, 6 and 7 are in at least two cells, so we leave them alone. 8 is only in one, which means that the remaining numbers disappear and you can leave the eight.

Alternating these two ways, we continue to solve Sudoku. In our example, we will use the first method, but it should be recalled that in complex variations the second is necessary. Without it, it will be extremely difficult.

By the way, when the middle seven is found in the upper "region", it can be removed from the mini-numbers of the middle square. If you do this, you will notice that there is only one 7 left in that region, so you can only leave it.

That's it; finished result:

Views

Sudoku puzzles are different. In some, a prerequisite is the absence of identical numbers not only in rows, columns and mini-squares, but also diagonally. Some instead of the usual "regions" contain other figures, which makes it much more difficult to solve the problem. One way or another, how to solve Sudoku is at least the basic rule that applies to any kind, you know. This will always help to cope with a puzzle of any complexity, the main thing is to try your best to achieve your goal.

Conclusion

Now you know how to solve Sudoku, and therefore you can download similar puzzles from various sites, solve them online or buy paper versions at newsstands. In any case, now you will have an occupation for long hours, or even days, because it is unrealistic to drag out Sudoku, especially when you have to actually figure out the principle of their solution. Practice, practice and more practice - and then you will click this puzzle like nuts.