Any data on solving techniques?

Adak · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 5:59 am Post subject: Any data on solving techniques?

Let's leave out the simple "can't be", "gotta be", for each row, column and box, for a moment. Leave guessing and any backtracking, out as well.

Now considering the whole dataset of possible (say unique) solutions, has anyone ever cataloged which solving techniques are most productive for either humans or computers which use their techniques (as opposed to techniques which use things like bit manipulations, dancing links, hashing techniques etc., which clearly no human is going to use), is there such data available?

For example, I have a basic Sudoku solving program. My goal is to make it good, but only using "human" techniques. I can't have the program giving hints to humans about using bit patterns, double-linked lists, hash tables, etc., to solve a Sudoku puzzle!

Neither can I begin to program in all the solving techniques I'm now seeing listed - I'm on a laptop, not a super computer, and have a finite lifespan, as well. Rolling Eyes

Is there a general consensus, or a specific study, of which of the intermediate and advanced solving techniques are most commonly found to be useful?

I have hacked up an outside rule of pairs function, but haven't any clue whether it's more useful than XY-Wing, or some other technique.

Any data or opinions on this from your experience?

humble_programmer · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 3:46 pm Post subject:

My highly subjective, non-verifiable, intuition-based response is that most "everyday" puzzles will fall to Naked/Hidden Singles, Pointing Pairs, Box/Line Reductions, and (every once in a while) an X-Wing or Naked Triple. Keep in mind that most of the puzzles you encounter within this forum are going to be much more difficult than anything published in a newspaper or web site; what this says about the masochistic tendencies of regular contributors (like me) is left to your conjecture...
_________________
Cheers!
Humble Programmer
,,,^..^,,,
www.humble-programmer.com

daj95376 · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 5:16 pm Post subject: