Lower Limit Found For Sudoku Puzzle Clues

Posted by timothy on Sunday January 8, 2012 @06:46AM from the 17-ain't-young dept.

ananyo writes "An Irish mathematician has used a complex algorithm and millions of hours of supercomputing time to solve an important open problem in the mathematics of Sudoku, the game popularized in Japan that involves filling in a 9X9 grid of squares with the numbers 1–9 according to certain rules. Gary McGuire of University College Dublin shows in a proof posted online [PDF] that the minimum number of clues — or starting digits — needed to complete a puzzle is 17; puzzles with 16 or fewer clues do not have a unique solution. Most newspaper puzzles have around 25 clues, with the difficulty of the puzzle decreasing as more clues are given."

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In related news... by jcreus · 2012-01-08 06:56 · Score: 5, Funny

High-tech computers, working uninterruptedly for about 10 years, have finally discovered the exact minimum number of clues for the binary sudoku.
I prefer my Sudoku with by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-08 06:59 · Score: 5, Funny

After a long day at work I prefer my Sudoku with 80+ clues
Re:Well this will solve world hunger. by toomanyhandles · 2012-01-08 07:48 · Score: 5, Funny

People with more education than you do, apparently.
Socialism by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-08 07:50 · Score: 5, Funny

There are only two reasons to spend taxpayer money: To defend America, and to get Republicans back into power!
Everything else is SOCIALISM!