Cascade

[SecretCEO]

Bored during Lockdown 1, I spent a lot of time playing this DIY Sudoku game. Only pen and paper required.

 

Draw up a sudoku grid, then add 1-9, one number per column/row/square, wherever you like.

 

Add another round of 1-9, one more each per 3x3 sauare, wherever you like.

 

Then do the usual for sudoku, where you try to deduce possibilities from the numbers you already have in the grid.

 

You may be able to input a couple more numbers at this point, as revealed by your deductions.

 

Once you run out of possibilities, you can add one more number that you think will cause the most numbers to reveal themselves during your next attempt at deduction.

 

Go ahead and deduce, again.  

 

Once numbers stop revealing themselves, add one more number in any place you think will have most impact.

 

And so on, until either the grid is complete (win) or you come up with two of the same number in the same row, column or 3x3 square (lose).

 

Keep a tally of how many numbers you add (an initial 18, plus 2 more is my record), and the numbers you deduce from each extra number you've had to add once you've run out of deductions (both together should add up to 81, for the whole grid).

 

Pictures of the game to follow, if anyone is interested.

 

Edited January 6, 2021 by SecretCEO
Clarity

[Cardinal Richelieu]

If that's the edited post, I can only marvel at how unclear the original one was!

What's your opinion on the Cracking the Cryptic YouTube channel?

[SecretCEO]

Sorry!  It's really straightforward, takes up some time when you need a screen break - but not easy to explain!

I'll try some photos to show how the game progresses.

(More to follow.)

Easiest way is to pair up the initial 18 numbers that you enter.

Note down the logical possibilities, using wee numbers.

The pen points to the 19th number that I've added in myself.

Whereas the other numbers I'm about to input on the grid are those deduced from what's there already, as per normal in sudoku.

Edited January 6, 2021 by SecretCEO
Clarity!

[Bairnardo]

That last one looks like my lockdown as told by the Bristol stool chart.

[SecretCEO]

[SecretCEO]

It's not letting me upload the final pictures, but maybe it's a bit clearer now?

 

[Stellaboz]

I read this as Cascada. Love a bit of early 2000s dance.

[GiGi]

Can you no just turn on the Playstation or have a w**k like a normal bored person?

[Oldster]

On 06/01/2021 at 12:12, SecretCEO said:

Bored during Lockdown 1, I spent a lot of time playing this DIY Sudoku game. Only pen and paper required.

 

Draw up a sudoku grid, then add 1-9, one number per column/row/square, wherever you like.

 

Add another round of 1-9, one more each per 3x3 sauare, wherever you like.

 

Then do the usual for sudoku, where you try to deduce possibilities from the numbers you already have in the grid.

 

You may be able to input a couple more numbers at this point, as revealed by your deductions.

 

Once you run out of possibilities, you can add one more number that you think will cause the most numbers to reveal themselves during your next attempt at deduction.

 

Go ahead and deduce, again.  

 

Once numbers stop revealing themselves, add one more number in any place you think will have most impact.

 

And so on, until either the grid is complete (win) or you come up with two of the same number in the same row, column or 3x3 square (lose).

 

Keep a tally of how many numbers you add (an initial 18, plus 2 more is my record), and the numbers you deduce from each extra number you've had to add once you've run out of deductions (both together should add up to 81, for the whole grid).

 

Pictures of the game to follow, if anyone is interested.

 

I tried this and found it quite entertaining. Good for a break from screens, like you say.

You need to explain it better.

Make the distinction clearer between the numbers that you CHOOSE to input (the initial 18, plus one additional number each time the game runs out of steam)

and the remaining numbers that, like sudoku, you MUST input (as the only logical possibility for each square given what's already in the grid).

Crack that, and I reckon there's money to be made from it.

[SecretCEO]

That's right.

It's just sudoku, but you set the game up and shape it yourself.

The initial aim is the same as sudoku in that you try to complete the grid.

In Cascade you're also aiming to complete it by adding in as few numbers as possible by choice  and as many as possible by deduction.

I keep track of how many I input of each type on the right-hand side of the grid - e.g.  I write in the number 18 when I've input the initial 18 numbers by choice, and tally marks next to it to show how many additional numbers I've then been able to input by deduction from the initial 18;

when there are no more to deduce from the initial 18, I choose a 19th number to input where I think it will have most impact, I write 19 at the right-hand side of the grid, then keep tally beside it of the number I've been able to deduce then input as a result of choosing to input my 19th number, etc.

Edited January 9, 2021 by SecretCEO

[SecretCEO]

Exactly.

The reason I tried it in the first instance was because I'd run out of sudoku puzzles, so thought I'd see if I could generate my own.  I find it much more entertaining to look at where the number I choose to input would have the biggest impact/cause the greatest cascade of numbers to fall into place than I do completing the traditional game as set by someone else.

I'm assuming you're right and there's an algorithm for it, but I wonder if it's something with a deceptively high number of possibilities - like the grains of rice on chessboard squares problem.

Anyhow, the numbers along the top, 1-9, outside the grid are just me keeping track of the second 1-9 to stop me adding in too many 2s or 5s, etc initially; the number outside the grid to the top left corner is the number of clues or leads that the initial 18 numbers generate - which I like to think shows the potential of a given initial set of 18.

I don't think there's money to be made from it, just open source is fine by me and thought I'd share it with anyone interested.

[mathematics]

I had a colleague whose research was based on combinations of sudoku puzzles and variants there of. Incredibly large number of variants. 

[Oldster]

Ah, no - I'm pretty sure there's one single solution to that chess problem, but argument-by-analogy tends to fail sooner than later. Also - (pure) maths: logical, yet irrational.

I only had to chose 23 numbers to complete my latest game.  The longest cascade of deductions was 27, after I had chosen my 21st number.

Edited January 10, 2021 by Oldster

[Oldster]

On 10/01/2021 at 17:17, SecretCEO said:

 

 

On 10/01/2021 at 17:17, SecretCEO said:

 

 

On 10/01/2021 at 18:24, mathematics said:

I had a colleague whose research was based on combinations of sudoku puzzles and variants there of. Incredibly large number of variants. 

Sorry "@mathematics" - that wasn't aimed at you.

Accidentally simultaneous timing of our posts.

I should have quoted the other guy, "SecretCEO", before I started my post!

Edited January 14, 2021 by Oldster
Humble pie.

[Theroadlesstravelled]

I’d rather just be bored.

[Cardinal Richelieu]

2 hours ago, SecretCEO said:

Exactly.

The reason I tried it in the first instance was because I'd run out of sudoku puzzles, so thought I'd see if I could generate my own.  I find it much more entertaining to look at where the number I choose to input would have the biggest impact/cause the greatest cascade of numbers to fall into place than I do completing the traditional game as set by someone else.

I'm assuming you're right and there's an algorithm for it, but I wonder if it's something with a deceptively high number of possibilities - like the grains of rice on chessboard squares problem.

Anyhow, the numbers along the top, 1-9, outside the grid are just me keeping track of the second 1-9 to stop me adding in too many 2s or 5s, etc initially; the number outside the grid to the top left corner is the number of clues or leads that the initial 18 numbers generate - which I like to think shows the potential of a given initial set of 18.

I don't think there's money to be made from it, just open source is fine by me and thought I'd share it with anyone interested.

As I mentioned before, check out the Cracking the Cryptic channel on Youtube. There are lots of variants of sudoku that put more life into the format, and they might be interested in your new version.

Edited January 10, 2021 by Cardinal Richelieu

[Szamo's_Ammo]

Everytime I see this topic

[Sergeant Wilson]

4 hours ago, Theroadlesstravelled said:

I’d rather just be bored.

If you get bored being bored, watch this rather than do soudoku.

[Arabdownunder]

[SecretCEO]

On 10/01/2021 at 18:26, Oldster said:

Ah, no - I'm pretty sure there's one single solution to that chess problem, but argument-by-analogy tends to fail sooner than later. Also - (pure) maths: logical, yet irrational.

I only had to chose 23 numbers to complete my latest game.  The longest cascade of deductions was 27, after I had chosen my 21st number.

23's a decent score.

I was stuck on 22 as my best for a long time but I'm down to 20 now, with a huge cascade after my 19th chosen number and then only about 8-10 empty squares remaining before I made my 20th choice of number.

So I think it's possible to finish the whole grid by adding just 19 numbers, but it'd need to be about perfect in terms of your number selection.

Unlike you, I hadn't paid much attention to how many deduced numbers result from each specific chosen number's cascade - so that's another direction you've taken the game in already.

I just find it a relaxing way to fill in a spare half hour between whatever else I'm doing.

Okay. Enough from me on this 

Thanks all.