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New 2s pattern spotted today
foilman
Kwon-Tom Admin
Puzzles: 3939
Best Total: 24m 6s		Posted - 2006.02.10 14:54:44
Take a look at this pattern which can be found in the top left corner of today's puzzle:-



Two lines and one cross can be deduced from this.
Last edited by foilman - 2006.02.10 14:55:58
Stephen
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 5535
Best Total: 21m 48s		Posted - 2006.02.10 14:59:52
Nice! (though the pattern has to be bounded by the corner of the board...) I also spotted a new pattern (for me) today (see what happens when we get a very challenging puzzle!) - I expect some of you have this one already, but you can add 2x's and a line to the following:

Last edited by Stephen - 2006.02.10 15:02:12
astrokath
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 3258
Best Total: 13m 42s		Posted - 2006.02.10 15:11:33
Quote:
Originally Posted by foilman
Take a look at this pattern which can be found in the top left corner of today's puzzle:-



Two lines and one cross can be deduced from this.

Indeed.  That was one point in the puzzle where a lot of progress can be quickly made... you don't want to have an odd number of lines heading into that corner. As for Stephen's pattern - I knew the line, but had forgotten the x's.  That's also a useful pattern to remember.
Last edited by astrokath - 2006.02.10 15:23:36
drnull
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 1053
Best Total: 23m 25s		Posted - 2006.02.10 15:22:18
Quote:
Originally Posted by astrokath
Indeed.  That was one point in the puzzle where a lot of progress can be quickly made... you don't want to have an odd number of lines heading into that corner.

Ahh, I see.  That's slick.  Still pondering Stephen's pattern, though.
itchfizzix
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 3070
Best Total: 17m 57s		Posted - 2006.02.10 15:27:43
I'm going to keep working on that first one with the two's... I get the idea, but am not "seeing it" - yet.  The second made sense after I printed it out and tried all possible combinations with different colors. 
drnull
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 1053
Best Total: 23m 25s		Posted - 2006.02.10 15:30:00
Quote:
Originally Posted by stephen
Nice! (though the pattern has to be bounded by the corner of the board...) I also spotted a new pattern (for me) today (see what happens when we get a very challenging puzzle!) - I expect some of you have this one already, but you can add 2x's and a line to the following:

Ok, that makes sense.  The line part of that had been shown to me before, but I never saw those two x's.  That could be helpful in the future. 
drnull
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 1053
Best Total: 23m 25s		Posted - 2006.02.10 15:35:26
Quote:
Originally Posted by itchfizzix
The second made sense after I printed it out and tried all possible combinations with different colors. 

It's good to go back and try putting a line where you have the x's, and working out why that can't be true.  Most of these bigger patterns can be broken down to where assuming a line or x creates a contridiction quickly.

Course, I also never liked memorizing formulas in algebra & geometry classes...  I would rather derive them on the test.  Might take a little longer at first, but it keeps you from making silly mistakes later.  And plus, after you've derived it 10 or 15 times, you've learned it instead of memorizing it.

edit: btw, I'm not saying that so much for your benefit (as you seem to be doing just fine on your own) but more for the guys who are new and looking for pointers.
Last edited by drnull - 2006.02.10 15:36:32
Stephen
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 5535
Best Total: 21m 48s		Posted - 2006.02.10 15:36:10
Yes - it was the 2 x's that were new to me too.  Actually it occures to me thinking about it again that the 0 is irrelevant (but was present in today's puzzle) - so long as the 2 has an 'x' opposite the 3.
drnull
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 1053
Best Total: 23m 25s		Posted - 2006.02.10 18:30:38
Quote:
Originally Posted by foilman


Two lines and one cross can be deduced from this.

You can also get 2 lines from this. (just to simplify it a bit more)
lodenkamper
Kwon-Tom Fan
Puzzles: 21
Best Total: 47m 58s		Posted - 2006.02.11 02:59:26


This is a relative of the x23 pattern Stephen mentioned.

Two xs can be deduced here.

- Bob
astrokath
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 3258
Best Total: 13m 42s		Posted - 2006.02.11 09:34:03
Quote:
Originally Posted by lodenkamper


This is a relative of the x23 pattern Stephen mentioned.

Two xs can be deduced here.

- Bob

So they can...
chairman
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 1397
Best Total: 17m 32s		Posted - 2006.03.31 21:02:29
Today's puzzle contains a new pattern, at least for me it does. Like procrastinator's 2 with x-es on the sw corner, its solution uses   the Highlander argument. The question mark can be a blank spot or any number. The blank spots must be blank.
tzukanion
Kwon-Tom Addict
Puzzles: 441
Best Total: 17m 39s		Posted - 2006.04.01 05:07:18
Which of the borders in your example are borders of a puzzel and which are not? Does it matter?
chairman
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 1397
Best Total: 17m 32s		Posted - 2006.04.01 08:50:13
Apologies, I forgot to say that the 2 is on the northern border.
East and west sides are not involved. I'd better have used some more
space. Still, the three spots adjacent to the 2 must be blanks, the
others don't matter. One line and two x-es can be deduced.


foilman
Kwon-Tom Admin
Puzzles: 3939
Best Total: 24m 6s		Posted - 2006.04.01 10:15:20
Yes... it's a variation of the other 2s pattern, as you say. Makes sense to me!
astrokath
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 3258
Best Total: 13m 42s		Posted - 2006.04.03 11:21:14
Quote:
Originally Posted by chairman
the Highlander argument.

Nice pattern, nice terminology!
PuzzleLover
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 1033
Best Total: 38m 17s		Posted - 2006.04.24 00:41:35
Quote:
Originally Posted by chairman
Apologies, I forgot to say that the 2 is on the northern border.
East and west sides are not involved. I'd better have used some more
space. Still, the three spots adjacent to the 2 must be blanks, the
others don't matter. One line and two x-es can be deduced.


If 2 is on the north edge, I can only deduce one x and no lines, and then only if the 1 is on the west edge.  I see no local deductions if you only know 2 is on the north edge.  Am I missing something?  Thanks.


The following three patterns show how every ? above can be either an x or a line.





Last edited by PuzzleLover - 2006.04.24 00:42:19
procrastinator
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 1083
Best Total: 12m 56s		Posted - 2006.04.24 04:20:32
Quote:
Originally Posted by puzzlelover

Am I missing something?



This is impossible.
PuzzleLover
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 1033
Best Total: 38m 17s		Posted - 2006.04.24 04:31:19
Quote:
Originally Posted by procrastinator
Quote:
Originally Posted by puzzlelover

Am I missing something?



This is impossible.
Am I being dense?  I don't see why this is impossible.  Here's one instance of the above.  Is it impossible, and if so, why?  Thanks.

procrastinator
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 1083
Best Total: 12m 56s		Posted - 2006.04.24 04:45:15
Quote:
Originally Posted by puzzlelover

Here's one instance of the above.

And here's the other:



Do you know what chairman means by "the Highlander argument"?
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