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Prime Exotica - LMI Jan 2011 Sudoku Test
   LMI Tests -> Monthly Sudoku and Puzzle Tests108 posts • Page 5 of 5 • 1 2 3 4 5
Administrator
Subject: RE: Prime Exotica - Anonymous Ratings @ 2011-01-27 9:42 AM (#3321 - in reply to #3192) (#3321) Top


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Location: India
rakesh_rai - 2011-01-17 11:43 AM

A feature being tried out this time is that of "anonymous ratings". On the score page, the average rating and number of solvers who rated will still be visible. But A cannot see ratings given by B (and vice-versa).

It could just be a coincidence, but this test got maximum number of ratings per puzzle since the introduction of ratings in mock13.
On an average, each puzzle received 14.77 number of ratings in this test.

Here is how puzzles in other tests (top 5 listed) were rated.
14.77 | Prime Exotica
14.56 | Sudoku Mock Test 15
12.44 | EverGreens II
12.27 | 20/10 Puzzle Decathlon
12.17 | Master Mind Twins

Although ratings are not the most important thing in a test, we would like to believe that most players like the ratings this way (i.e. to be anonymous) and we would continue this in future tests.
Ours brun
Subject: Re: Prime Exotica - LMI Jan 2011 Sudoku Test @ 2011-01-27 6:34 PM (#3324 - in reply to #3309) (#3324) Top





Posts: 148
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Location: France
rakesh_rai

motris

I personally disliked most of the puzzles that seemed to require extra/outside knowledge.

However, in my opinion, there were no such puzzles which required extra/outside knowhow. All knowledge needed was in the instructions. Some basic rules for prime numbers, multiplication, addition was all that was needed.

I agree with motris; as Rakesh said, in the current case all puzzles were solvable without outside help. However, in some cases, "cheat sheets" could certainly allow to save a non-negligeable amount of time ; this, I dislike. But it is not really a specificity of this particular test ; when solving killer sudoku, using a sheet with all the possible combinations of digits can also prove useful - and lots of people use such a sheet every time they solve a killer sudoku. The important point for me is to clearly mention what is allowed, and what isn't (the ideal being for me : "no exterior help, of any kind, is allowed").

rakesh_rai

motris

...And the prime list link in the forum wasn't removed or turned away so as to say "do not bring such a thing into a test".

The puzzle was not much dependent on a list - It was easily solvable without needing that list, and probably faster too.

Which is why I liked the puzzle, despite being primarily reticent to the idea. No need to know - or search for - big primes to solve it. By the way, nice job on this particular puzzle.

rakesh_rai (concerning multitab sudoku)
Here's the approach which I had intended. Of course, there could be better and quicker approaches. But this is what I had thought of.

I solved this puzzle once the competition was over, and did nearly exactly the way you did.
lucarabino
Subject: Re: Prime Exotica - LMI Jan 2011 Sudoku Test @ 2011-01-27 7:09 PM (#3325 - in reply to #3146) (#3325) Top




Posts: 1

Location: ITALY
Hi. I found that ROSSINI and TENNISDOKU were not able to be solved, because in ROSSINI double arrows were not visible and in TENNISDOKU only few scores were visible (in application and in the pdf). Why??? How could be solved by the winners?
Ours brun
Subject: Re: Prime Exotica - LMI Jan 2011 Sudoku Test @ 2011-01-27 7:26 PM (#3326 - in reply to #3325) (#3326) Top





Posts: 148
1002020
Location: France
Hi,

In both cases you need to be very careful about the sentence beginning like this : "If there is no..."

To be clear : on rossini sudoku, there are no arrows because, on this particular puzzle, digits are never in strictly ascending or descending order. This is a very useful information.
On tennisdoku, where there isn't a tennis ball the score can't be one of a tennis match. For example, if there is no ball touching a "4", there can't be a "6" in the adjacent cells.

Does it help you ?
Ours brun
Subject: RE: Prime Exotica - LMI Jan 2011 Sudoku Test @ 2011-01-27 7:39 PM (#3327 - in reply to #3146) (#3327) Top





Posts: 148
1002020
Location: France
A few more help, if needed :

! SPOILER !


Let's have a look at Rossini sudoku :

Spoiler: show

There is no arrow at the right of 5th row. This means that the 3 corresponding digits cannot be in either ascending or descending order. We already have 5>1 so the cell located between those two must contain a digit which is either smaller than 1 (impossible) or bigger than 5. This digit has to be 8...


Now look at Tennisdoku :

Spoiler: show

The 5th row is again particularly useful. 2, 6, 8 and 9 remain to be placed. There is a ball touching the 3; the only possible score with a 3 is 6-3, so let's put a 6 in R5C2.
Then : on the left edge of this cell, there is no ball. So, R5C1 and R5C2 (6) cannot form a valid score. 2, 8 and 9 remain to be placed. 2-6 would be a valid score, as well as 8-6. So, there must be a 9 in R5C1...

rakesh_rai
Subject: Re: Prime Exotica - LMI Jan 2011 Sudoku Test @ 2011-01-27 8:49 PM (#3329 - in reply to #3325) (#3329) Top



Mean Minis (2020) Author

Posts: 774
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Location: India
lucarabino - 2011-01-27 7:09 PM

...in TENNISDOKU only few scores were visible (in application and in the pdf)...
Thanks Ours brun.

lucarabino: Yes. In Tennisdoku (as also in Kid sudoku), all scores were not given as clues, as then it would have become too easy. But the grid was solvable with the given clues as the tennis balls provided enough hints. And 59 solvers did solve it.

Administrator
Subject: Re: Prime Exotica - LMI Jan 2011 Sudoku Test @ 2011-01-27 8:51 PM (#3330 - in reply to #3146) (#3330) Top


2000100050020
Location: India
Solution Booklet here
Ours brun
Subject: RE: Prime Exotica - LMI Jan 2011 Sudoku Test @ 2011-01-27 8:56 PM (#3331 - in reply to #3146) (#3331) Top





Posts: 148
1002020
Location: France
Thanks for having modified my post, I didn't know that there was a "spoiler tag".
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