Super Sudoku Solver V1.1 Written by: Matthew Carrier Year of release: 2005 Computer: Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48k only. (128k users please use 48k mode) Written in Sinclair BASIC and compiled with Hisoft Colt Compiler by Threlfall and Hodgson. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What it can do: This Sudoku solver will try its best to solve any standard 9x9 puzzle that appears in daily newspapers such as the Daily Mail, Sun, Express etc.... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What it can't do: As above, it will try to solve it. If it fails then the puzzle is probably too hard or is one of those special types that require boffin X/Y wing solving, King chess routines or darn bollock wrenching quests to get the answer. It cannot solve 9x9 Sudoku-X puzzles or puzzles of a different grid size. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How does it solve the sudoku? It will do a row, column, block routine and continue solving until it can't get any further. This will then jump into a power routine that checks each induvidual square and push a number in. Once the power routine has finished and it has managed to get one/some numbers in it will go back to the first routine and loop until finished. If the power routine cannot push any numbers in then it will go to the "Cup of tea" routine. Here it will plonk a number into the first available square and try to solve it. It will usually fail, so it will loop around until it will either a)solve it or b)fail. This may take a long time - maybe upto an hour or so, bung some tea on, go to the shops, have a dump. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How do I know it has been correctly solved? When a puzzle has been solved it will place tick marks around the grid, this shows that each line and column have the correct amount of numbers. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So how do I input the numbers? Use the keys WXAD to move the flashing red cursor around the grid (you can also use QZEC to move diagonally). Press the required number key to bung a number in. Pressing Zero or space will remove/delete any number. Press ENTER to start the solving routine. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Test Sudoku with ratings (out of 5 stars) and time to complete. Difficulty rating: 5 stars 100 800 340 020 934 000 300 002 070 009 700 000 080 400 500 001 009 000 050 060 000 048 000 000 000 000 289 Time Taken: 1 minute,50 seconds ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Difficulty rating: 5 stars 800 000 304 519 000 000 000 050 900 000 200 010 090 000 600 030 008 000 001 002 060 205 300 700 000 540 009 Time Taken: 1 minute,25 seconds ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Difficutly rating: 3 stars 130 060 020 700 000 180 000 270 000 260 504 708 000 000 000 009 080 206 045 002 600 000 000 095 903 008 000 Time taken: 1 minute, 11 seconds ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hey, it's given a different answer to another solving program! Yes, that is true with many Sudoku puzzles, they usually have 4 different answers depending on how they are solved and the order in which the numbers have been placed. With this puzzle the H can be replaced with either a 5,7,4 or 2 040 000 000 901 000 800 000 109 0H0 000 480 503 670 030 100 008 020 407 782 000 015 000 758 030 500 000 000 Super Sudoku Solver will place a 2 in the H square and solve it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Have fun with it. This program is now 15 bloody years old! Mat, 27th March 2020