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 Method: Guessing 
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Posted on: Sat May 21, 2011 5:35 pm




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Post Re: Method: Guessing
pnm wrote:
maartensmit wrote:
Anyway, we're getting off-topic here. :p

So start a new topic!
:)

So make an off-topic sub-forum!
:)

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Posted on: Sat May 21, 2011 5:55 pm




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Post Re: Method: Guessing
maartensmit wrote:
So make an off-topic sub-forum!
:)

I suppose that's possible. Wouldn't the "Calcudoku General" forum be ok for this though?


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Posted on: Sat May 21, 2011 5:58 pm




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Post Re: Method: Guessing
I thought we were still talking about guessing so we're not exactly off topic. This is interesting.

Ok, how about I put it like this... back to Calcudoku... when I pencil-in possibilities (say I print the puzzle out), that's not called guessing, right? Do you agree with that, maartensmit?


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Posted on: Sat May 21, 2011 8:41 pm




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Post Re: Method: Guessing
sneaklyfox wrote:
I thought we were still talking about guessing so we're not exactly off topic. This is interesting.

Ok, how about I put it like this... back to Calcudoku... when I pencil-in possibilities (say I print the puzzle out), that's not called guessing, right? Do you agree with that, maartensmit?

Yes, I agree. That is, if you mean that in a 4+ cage you write down 1 and 3 on the border of the 2 squares or something. :)

About the off-topic sub-forum idea; I think it is a good idea, pretty much all forums have an off-topic section, just for totally different subjects. This philosophical question about the definition of guessing is still somewhat related to the topic of calcudoku, but as soon as this forum becomes bigger, and gets more members, and becomes a bit of a community, an off-topic section would be cool to discuss non-calcudoku related things.

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Posted on: Sat May 21, 2011 8:54 pm




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Post Re: Method: Guessing
Ok, well when I put a number in a box I am essentially writing it in pencil like you write a small number. It's only certain when I bold it with the = sign. So in a 4+ box if I write 1 and 3, it's treated as though I wrote a 1 and a 3 in small numbers in each of the two boxes so it's not a guess at all.

With the method I use, I rarely guess.

maartensmit, it shows that you have been doing puzzles for 45 days and have 880 points. (I assume that's you?) That's roughly 20 points a day which means you do all the puzzles from 4x4 easy to 6x6 medium or thereabouts. So have you done many harder puzzles? (I'm just assuming.) I don't use the = sign for any of the puzzles 6x6 and below either because they're much easier. Just try doing a 12x12 puzzle without using the = sign or printing it out on paper.

(This reply isn't so much about guessing anymore, but it is still related to solving strategies and tips.)


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Posted on: Sat May 21, 2011 9:50 pm




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Post Re: Method: Guessing
I haven't been doing many of the online puzzles lately. When I just became a member of this site I was a lot more fanatic, reaching over 40 points per day. In the past 2 weeks I have probably only done 1 day's worth of puzzles ;). I do more calcudoku on paper nowadays (in the newspaper, in books, etc.)

Even more off-topic (probably even worth its own topic, I'll start one about it shortly), I've been doing the newspaper puzzles (they aren't that hard) blindfolded. Memorize the cages and then solve the puzzle in your head. To check if you solved it correctly, just write down the string of numbers after solving and fill them in in the puzzle. Seriously, try it sometime, it's fun :)

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Posted on: Sat May 21, 2011 10:20 pm




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Post Re: Method: Guessing
maartensmit wrote:
I haven't been doing many of the online puzzles lately. When I just became a member of this site I was a lot more fanatic, reaching over 40 points per day. In the past 2 weeks I have probably only done 1 day's worth of puzzles ;). I do more calcudoku on paper nowadays (in the newspaper, in books, etc.)

Which newspaper and which books? (I'm curious about the Calcudoku activity in the Netherlands)


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Posted on: Sat May 21, 2011 10:23 pm




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Post Re: Method: Guessing
pnm wrote:
maartensmit wrote:
I haven't been doing many of the online puzzles lately. When I just became a member of this site I was a lot more fanatic, reaching over 40 points per day. In the past 2 weeks I have probably only done 1 day's worth of puzzles ;). I do more calcudoku on paper nowadays (in the newspaper, in books, etc.)

Which newspaper and which books? (I'm curious about the Calcudoku activity in the Netherlands)

Volkskrant, your books :p

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Posted on: Sun May 22, 2011 5:27 pm




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Post Re: Method: Guessing
[quote="maartensmit"]And indeed, I do not believe guessing has anything to do with logic.

I think pnm definitely meant us to be able to 'guess' on the puzzle. That is why there is a bold feature. To lock in the correct answer


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Posted on: Tue May 24, 2011 1:02 pm




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Post Re: Method: Guessing
maartensmit wrote:
When solving calcudokus on paper, I do sometimes write down the possibilities in a corner of the square, but only when the combination of numbers isn't obvious. In the 4+ example I simply wouldn't write that down. However, if I have somehow found that in a 10+ cage of 2 squares everything is impossible except for 3+7, I would.


How would you find a 10+ cage of 2 squares to be only 3+7? You would've mentally guessed 1+9, 2+8, 4+6 and found a contradiction for each.

There is a fine line between guessing and logic. Indirect proof or proof by contradiction is a well established method in math reasoning. Is that guessing?


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