Sudoku Tips and Algorithms
1.Terminology
2. Rules of Sudoku
3. Algorthims to solve Sudoku
Want to learn how to play Sudoku? Did a Sudoku variation leave
you puzzled? Fear not. You have come to the right place. Here we
will explain the rules of Sudoku, and in no time you will be on
your way to becoming a sudoku solver yourself!!
1. Terminology
Before we go further, let's establish some terminologies which we
will be using in later sections.
Cell: A cell is a
square box in a sudoku game in which a number/letter can be
entered. A cell can be either
pre-defined or
empty.
Pre-defined cells are fixed in a sudoku and their values cannot be
changed. Empty cells are empty to begin with, and the user/player
must fill in the correct value.
Block: A block (or
a cell-block) is a group of cells in a Sudoku game. A block can be
distinguished from normal cells by its thicker border. A block can
be a regular block of NxN cells in the form of a square, or can be
of an irregular shape. Both kinds are blocks nonetheless.
Row: A row is a horizontal collection of cells in a Sudoku
game.
Column: A column is a vertical collection of
cells.
The following figures show the above concepts on a
Sudoku game grid:
2. Rules of Sudoku
Now, the easier part:
- An N celled block (for example, a 3x3 block will have 9 cells)
should be filled with numbers from 1 through N. This way, a 3x3
block will be filled with numbers 1 through 9.
- No two cells within one block can have the same number.
- No two cells in a row can have the same number.
- No two cells in a column can have the same number.
To make the above rules clearer, following figures illustrate
some wrong entries:
That's it!! You're now
officially qualified to solve Sudoku games.
3. Different Levels of Algorithm
4. Consecutive Sudoku Algorithms
5. Greater Sudoku Algorithms