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 Post subject: Børge's Corner
PostPosted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 10:26 am 
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For most puzzles I post here you will find a line with the text: "Rating based on required solving techniques". This gives an indication about the solving techniques required. Using JSduoku or SudokuSolver anybody can determine this anyway.
The number of each technique required is not reflected in the rating. Should a puzzle however, for instance have a large number of Hidden Pairs (> 10) I will likely hint on this.

Here my rating table:
Code:
Rating               Techniques required
======               ===================

Very Easy            Naked Singles only.

Easy                 Naked and Hidden Singles only.

Moderate             Easier techniques + Intersections   aka.   Block/Block Interactions   aka.   Locked Candidates
                                       + Hidden Extra Groups + Twin Nonets

Tough                Easier techniques + Naked and/or Hidden Pairs.

Hard                 Easier techniques + Naked and/or Hidden Triplets/Quads + X-Wing.

Very Hard            Easier techniques + Swordfish, Jellyfish and/or Squirmbag.

Extra Hard           Easier techniques + Skyscraper + Two String Kite + Remote Pairs + Empty Rectangle + Turbot Fish + Uniqueness Test 1.

Super Hard           Easier techniques + Finned Fish + Grouped Fish + Wings + Uniqueness Test 2.

Ultra Hard           Easier techniques + Chains + Uniqueness Test 3 trough 6.

Nightmare            Easier techniques + any other techniques except Pure Guessing and Brute Force.

Hellish Nightmare    Easier techniques + Pure Guessing and Brute Force.


Last edited by Børge on Sat Jan 23, 2010 5:32 pm, edited 22 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Børge's Corner
PostPosted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 10:33 am 
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In the previous post I introduced my rating table. Here some information regarding how I obtain the techniques required for solving a Sudoku I post. This to avoid unnecessary questions in case someone tries to verify my findings and obtains a different set of required techniques than I. I use JSudoku, but NOT with the default sequence of applying the solver techniques. My sequence will probably yield less Naked and Hidden Subsets (Pairs, Triplets, etc.) My sequence reflects how I solve Sudokus when using a helper/solver.

Here a screenshot of the sequence I use (updated for 1.4b2):

Image


Last edited by Børge on Tue Jul 15, 2008 11:24 am, edited 11 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Børge's Corner
PostPosted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 10:41 am 
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Dependent on time and how “lucky” I am with the generation process I will try to post several difficulties of a puzzle. I have decided (at least for the time being) to name them Novice, Apprentice, Master and Guru. I have done an in dept analysis of all of Ruud's Samurai and Clueless puzzles and my goal is that Apprentice should be similar to Ruud's Tough rating.

Based on my Rating Table and my setting for the solver techniques' sequence (see above posts), here some information regarding the five difficulty levels:


SAMURAI:
Code:
Novice:      Naked/Hidden Singles only   &   <=5 Intersections.

Apprentice:  Naked/Hidden Singles   &   Naked Pairs/Triplets/Quads   &   X-Wings   &   <=25 Intersections.

Master:      All kinds of basic techniques (Naked/Hidden Singles   &   N/H Subsets   &   ∞ Intersections   &   Basic Fish)
             +  1-3 advanced solving techniques (same or different).

Guru:        Several different advanced solving techniques, but only a couple of each.
             The goal is to have max.5, preferably only 1-3, of each advanced solving technique.

Wizard:      Unlimited number of any solving technique except Pure Guessing and Brute Force.


CLUELESS EXPLOSION:
Code:
Novice:      Naked/Hidden Singles only   &   <=5 Intersections.

Apprentice:  Naked/Hidden Singles   &   Naked Pairs/Triplets/Quads   &   X-Wings   &   <=20 Intersections.

Master:      All kinds of basic techniques (Naked/Hidden Singles   &   N/H Subsets   &   ∞ Intersections   &   Basic Fish)
             +  1-2 advanced solving techniques (same or different).

Guru:        Several different advanced solving techniques, but only a couple of each.
             The goal is to have max.5, preferably only 1-3, of each advanced solving technique.

Wizard:      Unlimited number of any solving technique except Pure Guessing and Brute Force.


CLUELESS SPECIAL:
Code:
Novice:      Naked/Hidden Singles only   &   <=5 Intersections.

Apprentice:  Naked/Hidden Singles   &   Naked Pairs/Triplets/Quads   &   X-Wings   &   <=25 Intersections.

Master:      All kinds of basic techniques (Naked/Hidden Singles   &   N/H Subsets   &   ∞ Intersections   &   Basic Fish)
             +  1-2 advanced solving techniques (same or different).

Guru:        Several different advanced solving techniques, but only a couple of each.
             The goal is to have max.5, preferably only 1-3, of each advanced solving technique.

Wizard:      Unlimited number of any solving technique except Pure Guessing and Brute Force.


Last edited by Børge on Tue Dec 02, 2008 8:08 pm, edited 8 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Børge's Corner
PostPosted: Mon May 05, 2008 6:25 pm 
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How to make a paper copy of a Samurai or Clueless puzzle


Step 0:
Download the files "Samurai_Clueless.xls", "Samurai.bmp", "Clueless.bmp", "Samurai_A4.doc" or "Samurai_LETTER.doc", and "Clueless_A4.doc" or "Clueless_LETTER.doc" from this folder. In this folder you will also find this guide in the file "How to make a paper copy of a Samurai or Clueless puzzle .doc". If you do not fancy my formatting (boarders, colours, font, etc.) of the worksheets Samurai, Explosion and Special in "Samurai_Clueless.xls" then just change it to your liking.

"Samurai_Clueless.xls" has a Custom Document Property (File > Properties > Custom) called Grid1_ULC. It controls where the macro PASTE_SUDOKU_FROM_CLIPBOARD expects cell 1 in grid 1. If you for whatever reason want to move the complete grid so that the first cell in grid 1 is no longer the Excel cell B2, you must change this CDP for the macro to work properly.


Step 1:
Select the Sudoku code and copy it to the clipboard (Ctrl+C). Open "Samurai_Clueless.xls" and select the correct worksheet. Paste the Sudoku code into the worksheet (Ctrl+V). Ctrl+V executes an Excel macro which overloads the standard paste in Excel.


Step 2:
Screen-shoot the active window ("Samurai_Clueless.xls") by pressing Alt+Print, open an empty Paint window and paste the screenshot into it (Ctrl+V). Using the select tool in Paint, select the 5 or 9 grids (for a Clueless puzzle the 10th grid off to the right is always empty and is already in "Clueless.bmp") and copy them to the clipboard (Ctrl+C).


Step 3:
Open "Samurai.bmp" or "Clueless.bmp" and paste in the grids (Ctrl+V). Select the complete picture (Ctrl+A) and copy it to the clipboard (Ctrl+C).


Step 4:
Open "Samurai_A4.doc" or "Samurai_LETTER.doc" or "Clueless_A4.doc" or "Clueless_LETTER.doc", select the current Samurai or Clueless picture in the Word-document by left-clicking once on it, and replace it by pasting the new one in the clipboard over it (Ctrl+V). Change the description to whatever you fancy.


Step 5:
Print out the Samurai or Clueless puzzle.

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Last edited by Børge on Tue Jul 15, 2008 11:54 am, edited 9 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Børge's Corner
PostPosted: Tue May 06, 2008 6:18 pm 
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Borge, I appreciate your explanations. It also will help me figure out what I (still) need to learn! Thanks.


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 Post subject: Re: Børge's Corner
PostPosted: Fri May 30, 2008 1:42 pm 
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When generating puzzles I have now started using JSudoku 1.3b2 as the logical solver. One of the many new nice features in 1.3b2 is the ability to save the solver sequence appliance to a file.
Here in the file PuzzleGeneration_JSudoku_Default_SolversSequence.xml you can find the solver sequence appliance I use when generating puzzles.
You can for instance use it to check how difficult a puzzles is.

In file PuzzleGeneration_JSudoku_ChainsFirst_SolversSequence.xml all Chains solvers have been moved up almost to the top of the list. Using this solver sequence appliance nicely demonstrates that chains make virtually all solving techniques, except Almost Locked Sets (and Sue de Coq ?) superfluous.

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 Post subject: Re: Børge's Corner
PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 12:11 pm 
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When generating puzzles I am now using JSudoku 1.4b2 as the logical solver.
The first three posts in this thread have been updated to reflect this change.
I have also uploaded an updated version of the PuzzleGeneration_JSudoku_Default_SolversSequence.xml file, see above post.


In a PM to Børge dated May 13, 2008, Glyn wrote:
You might consider reordering the solving techniques in JSudoku to move Finned Fish down the order of techniques ...
In a PM answer to Glyn dated May 14, 2008, Børge wrote:
It was on my agenda to ask you for your opinion on my solving techniques order. Any suggestions you have for the ordering of solving techniques are MOST WELCOME.
@Glyn: I do not remember getting any further suggestions from you regarding this.

If anyone has opinions regarding my ordering of solving techniques, they are most welcome.

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 Post subject: Re: Børge's Corner
PostPosted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:47 pm 
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I am still in Norway. Not more in Tromsø, but in southern Norway. Current plans for next week are to spend a couple of days in an old fashion cottage up in the high mountains of central Norway, WITHOUT laptop and Internet. Hence next week's puzzles may be posted on different days than usual.

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 Post subject: Re: Børge's Corner
PostPosted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 10:06 pm 
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Børge wrote:
I have decided (at least for the time being) to name them Novice, Apprentice, Master and Guru.

Where does "Journeyman" fit into this in terms of techniques?


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 Post subject: Re: Børge's Corner
PostPosted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 5:13 pm 
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enxio27 wrote:
Where does "Journeyman" fit into this in terms of techniques?
A very good question.
I must admit that I have not given that any thought. :shock: :oops:

If I have understood it right, a "Journeyman" is an Apprentice that has finished his/her education and passed all his/her exams, and may later after a minimum of practice take further education to become a Master.

So obviously the difficulty of "Journeyman" puzzles should be somewhere between Apprentice and Master.
For the three "Journeyman" puzzles I have posted so far (Christmas 2008 Shogun #C, RCE #37C and RCE #40C) I have also listed the required techniques.
As long as I continue to do that I will probably not lock the techniques for "Journeyman".

Hopefully this somehow answers your question.

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