BS: Sudoku

Subject: BS: Sudoku
From: PMB
Date: 14 Sep 07 - 07:51 AM

Question 1: Why do they print the answer to yesterday's problem? If you got it, you know you got it, and if you didn't, the answer doesn't show where you went wrong.

Question 2: Why do they (at least the Guardian) grade them as 'easy', 'moderate' and 'hard'? You'll find out soon enough, and they don't grade the crosswords similarly.

Subject: RE: BS: Sudoku
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 Sep 07 - 08:46 AM

Regarding printed solutions, here's how my wife uses them. (She has a book with solutions in the back.) She works until she realizes she's made a mistake somewhere. As you know, at this point it's usually impossible to work backwards, erasing squares one by one until you come to the point where you made your mistake. So instead, she compares her attempt to the actual solution and erases all the squares that are wrong. Then she starts again from that point.

I don't do this because I like to do them in ink, so erasing is not an option. When I realize I've made a mistake, I give up and go on to another puzzle.

I don't know about the Guardian, but in America, crossword puzzles often are graded by difficulty, although it's not explicit. In the New York Times, Monday's puzzle is the easiest of the week, Tuesday's is slightly harder, and so on, Sunday's being the biggest and hardest.

Subject: RE: BS: Sudoku
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 Sep 07 - 08:50 AM

Why do they label the ends of a swimming pool "deep" and "shallow"? You'll find out soon enough....

Subject: RE: BS: Sudoku
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 14 Sep 07 - 08:52 AM

Crosswords have always been graded.
Mind you, it's usually by newspaper, with the Star and Sun easiest and Times and Grauniad hardest. I never worked out how the Guardian handles anagrams though...
Quack!
GtD.
p.s. I'll have a 3 in box 6 across and 8 down.

Subject: RE: BS: Sudoku
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 14 Sep 07 - 08:53 AM

Nice one, Jim.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: BS: Sudoku
From: Deckman
Date: 14 Sep 07 - 09:27 AM

Why do they label restrooms "Men" and Wimmen?" You'll find out soon enough! Bob(deckman)Nelson

Subject: RE: BS: Sudoku
From: Rapparee
Date: 14 Sep 07 - 09:31 AM

Why do they label bottles "Poison"? I mean, it's helpful because you don't have to try lots of different stuff on Auntie, but still....

Subject: RE: BS: Sudoku
From: Donuel
Date: 14 Sep 07 - 11:14 AM

I heard Joshua Redman, jazz saxaphone and composer do a piece called Sudoku which had 10 beat measures and interesting sub sets of themes.

Subject: RE: BS: Sudoku
From: Jean(eanjay)
Date: 14 Sep 07 - 11:21 AM

Jim Dixon, I do what your wife does and I use the answers to erase any incorrect entries.

I have also done a grid on the computer where each square has very small numbers 1 to 9, in grey, at the top which I can cross out as I eliminate one of them. I use it for the very difficult puzzles which I just wouldn't be able to do otherwise.

Subject: RE: BS: Sudoku
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 14 Sep 07 - 11:38 AM

Sudoku ratings seem to depend solely upon how many empty boxes are provides; not upon ease or difficulty of solution. There s vage relationship, but I've encountered "difficult" ones that were a snap, and "easy" ones that were a bitch and a half.

Subject: RE: BS: Sudoku
From: Irene M
Date: 14 Sep 07 - 11:41 AM

I suspect the grading of Sudoku puzzles is rather arbitary.
Last year USA Today published an "easy" 6X6 Sudoku that was actually impossible to start.

My favourite is the Saturday Samauri (is that how you spell it?)one in The Times. It lasts me days, until I realise I have fouled it up again.

I have taught myself to write with my left hand, so I can stuff my face with the right one, and do Sudoku with the left. (The alterative being cerial in my left ear, and saying "WHAT?" all day.)And yes, I do live alone, you will be glad to hear.