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 Time taken to complete 15x15 
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Posted on: Sat Jan 06, 2018 2:56 pm




Posts: 956
Location: Ukraine
Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2016 10:03 pm
Post Time taken to complete 15x15
I usually do the 15x15 extra puzzle in stages. An initial completion of the single cell entries and the more obvious two and three cell cages, then save it for later when I spend a bit more time on the more complicated cages. Typically, I'll spread it over a couple of days.

However, this morning I got on a roll and managed to solve the puzzle in one go, without any trial and error. When I finished, I was wondering how long it had taken and was surprised to find that it took 91 minutes and 42 seconds! [scared] It makes me wonder did I fall asleep without realising it in the middle of doing the puzzle. [confused]

I'd be interested to hear how long others would typically spend on the 15x15.

Paul


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Posted on: Sat Jan 06, 2018 5:27 pm




Posts: 691
Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2014 9:20 pm
Post Re: Time taken to complete 15x15
I try to do larger puzzles in one go.

I find I forget things if I put it away for a while

Time today : 74 mins 40.6 secs


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Posted on: Sun Jan 07, 2018 1:56 am




Posts: 149
Joined: Sun Jan 31, 2016 7:52 am
Post Re: Time taken to complete 15x15
The 15x15 (6th Jan.) was very easy, it takes a long time to finish because it is large, but it can be completed without doing anything complicated.
In column 3 there is an 84x cage that can only be 7 & 12 (c1 is 14, so 6&14 is not possible), remove 7 and 12 from every other cell in column 3.
Other than that everything else is just crossing off pencil marks for solved cells until only one pencil mark is remaining, or solving cells by noticing that a number appears just once in a row or column (that is easy to miss in a large puzzle).


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Posted on: Sun Jan 28, 2018 6:40 pm




Posts: 275
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 11:51 pm
Post Re: Time taken to complete 15x15
For whatever reason, I found this puzzle to be unusually difficult. It took me over 3 weeks to complete it. For awhile I thought it would be the first extra puzzle that I would leave undone.


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Posted on: Tue Jan 30, 2018 3:02 am




Posts: 691
Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2014 9:20 pm
Post Re: Time taken to complete 15x15
For me, I would describe it as a puzzle "pops".

A 'pop' is when I notice something that cleans up a section of the puzzle. It could be simple or more complex, i.e more complex noticing that a combo of numbers are used in a row or column and can not be used elsewhere.

If I do not get that 'pop,' I struggle with the puzzle. I have struggled with certain sunday 12 x 12s and wrote Patrick about it and asked. Patrick said it is random. It may be I did not notice the 'pop' in the specific puzzles.

I do not know if that makes sense to you. When I go after the large puzzles, I do not try to fill in all the possibilities at the beginning. to me, that is a waste of time. I did that when I started. But we all change our strategies, dont we?

I understand the pain and frustration.


Last edited by eclipsegirl on Tue Jan 30, 2018 5:46 am, edited 1 time in total.



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Posted on: Tue Jan 30, 2018 3:07 am




Posts: 956
Location: Ukraine
Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2016 10:03 pm
Post Re: Time taken to complete 15x15
eclipsegirl wrote:
For me, I would describe it as a puzzle "pops".

A 'pop' is when I notice something that cleans up a section of the puzzle. It could be simple our or more complex, i.e more complex noticing that a combo of numbers are used in a row or column and can not be used elsewhere.

If I do not get that 'pop,' I struggle with the puzzle. I have struggled with certain sunday 12 x 12s and wrote Patrick about it and asked. Patrick said it is random. It may be I did not notice the 'pop' in the specific puzzles.

I do not know if that makes sense to you. When I go after the large puzzles, I do not try to fill in all the possibilities at the beginning. to me, that is a waste of time. I did that when I started. But we all change our strategies, dont we?

I understand the pain and frustration.


That's a very interesting approach that makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the tip - I'll try it out on the next 12x12.


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Posted on: Tue Jan 30, 2018 6:17 am




Posts: 691
Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2014 9:20 pm
Post Re: Time taken to complete 15x15
First, as a warning: It took me time to work into this method of doing large puzzles. I realized I was erasing a lot of stuff as I solved various large puzzles and decided to bypass that.

How do I know what is an important cage? I wish I coud tell you. It is not large. It often has prime numbers, If it is an addition cage, the sum is a small number with few possibilitities.

FOR EXAMPLE: There is a 6X 2 cell and a 18X 2 cell in the same row or column. The 6X must be {1,6} and the 18X must be {2,9}. Reasoning : the {2, 3} combo for the 6X cage eliminates any possibility for the 18X cage.

I work through as the puzzles as much as possible. The I start doing what I consider the drudgery of filling in every cage. But I do it slowly and wor it through. Say in a 12 x 12, I have a 17+ 2 cell, I often have all except one or two possibilities eleimated by the earlier work.

I think I learned this technique doing the first of the LARGE puzzle books I was able to obtain. I was able to become confident at my ability to do 12 x 12s.

I can not give a mathematical proof as a method to my madness. And I occasionally screw it up.
I am NOT clm who knows how to put their analytical reasoning into words.


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