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Ix Killer 4X http://www.rcbroughton.co.uk/sudoku/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1323 |
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Author: | ixsetf [ Sun Apr 19, 2015 4:50 pm ] |
Post subject: | Ix Killer 4X |
For this weeks puzzle I tried my hand at creating an X-Killer. This one has a vanilla X in the solution grid that some might find interesting. SS Score: 1.50 A comment on SScore, by adding two more cages the score changed from 1.50 to 1.70, and removing a cage dropped the score to 1.40. I have no idea why adding more constraints would cause SSolver to use harder steps, or how taking away a cage could open easier steps up, but apparently it did. Code: paste into solver: Solution: Vanilla XSudoku: Vanilla X code: You can remove r1c9, r3c7, and r4c6 from the vanilla sudoku and still get a unique solution, but it is extremely difficult so I don't suggest you try it. And as always, feedback or suggestions for either puzzle is appreciated. |
Author: | Andrew [ Wed Apr 22, 2015 2:06 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ix Killer 4X |
Thanks ixsetf for this interesting puzzle. It starts easily; then I needed to use a short chain to crack it. Here is my walkthrough for Ix Killer 4X: Rating Comment: ixsetf wrote: A comment on SScore, by adding two more cages the score changed from 1.50 to 1.70, and removing a cage dropped the score to 1.40. I have no idea why adding more constraints would cause SSolver to use harder steps, or how taking away a cage could open easier steps up, but apparently it did. Ed has told me that SSscores aren't just for the hardest step it uses. SS uses some form of weighting which takes account of the number of steps used and how easy or difficult they are. I'll guess that adding two more cages required SS to use more steps, while removing one cage may have reduced the number of steps needed. If you need more information on scoring, please ask Ed; or maybe he'll comment anyway - he's been solving these puzzles.
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Author: | ixsetf [ Wed Apr 22, 2015 2:46 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ix Killer 4X |
Thanks Andrew for the walkthrough! It is always interesting to see how you solve the puzzles. Hopefully this one was not too hard to be enjoyable, I will try to make one that's a bit simpler next week. Andrew wrote: Ed has told me that SSscores aren't just for the hardest step it uses. SS uses some form of weighting which takes account of the number of steps used and how easy or difficult they are. I'll guess that adding two more cages required SS to use more steps, while removing one cage may have reduced the number of steps needed. If you need more information on scoring, please ask Ed; or maybe he'll comment anyway - he's been solving these puzzles. Indeed, that would explain scoring changes like this most of the time. I did look over its path though, and it seemed that adding cages increased the difficulty of the hardest step, but I may have just misread the solver order somewhere. Hopefully Ed will be able to comment. |
Author: | Ed [ Wed Apr 22, 2015 8:04 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ix Killer 4X |
ixsetf wrote: Hopefully Ed will be able to comment. Andrew summarised what I was going to say. Can you post the codes for the two alternative puzzles? Going up to 1.70 from 1.50 is a fair bit so will be interesting to see if SS misses something.
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Author: | ixsetf [ Wed Apr 22, 2015 1:37 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ix Killer 4X |
Ed wrote: Andrew summarised what I was going to say. Can you post the codes for the two alternative puzzles? Going up to 1.70 from 1.50 is a fair bit so will be interesting to see if SS misses something. For some reason it seems to be 1.65 rather than 1.70 now, but still a fairly large jump from 1.40. with two extra cages: SS: 1.65 with a cage removed: SS: 1.40 There is an even larger jump with an earlier version. earlier version: SS: 1.90 with three cages removed: SS: 1.45 |
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