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astrokath
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 3258
Best Total: 13m 42s | Posted - 2006.01.24 17:40:37
Quote: Originally Posted by procrastinator
Nah: class, as they say, is permanent. You'll be back on top soon. Strange to see a whole week of best times without your name on it, though. And a shame your run of poor form happened while we're in striking distance of the best-ever time - if you'd won as many days as you had for the previous couple of weeks, we'd be right around the mark.
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Cheers! Makes me feel better, anyway. I'm off in la-la land right now, but once the Hubble deadline is well out the way... watch out! 
Last edited by astrokath - 2006.01.24 17:41:22 |
procrastinator
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 1083
Best Total: 12m 56s | Posted - 2006.01.25 09:42:26
Quote: Originally Posted by drnull unless you stumble really good, 2 minutes is a good enough buffer to get you through till at least Friday |
I don't stumble much better than that.
Hit reset twice in the same position (only a few automatic lines from the end), convinced I must have made a mistake because the puzzle looked impossible now. The third time I went through real slowly and carefully but still found myself in the same position. This time, however, I realised that it could indeed be finished. What had happened was that I ruled something out because it created a loop, then later found I still had two lines running into the same narrow region where they'd be forced to meet. The fact that the _other_ ends of the lines didn't meet this time around managed to completely escape me. |
drnull
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 1053
Best Total: 23m 25s | Posted - 2006.01.25 14:34:22
Quote: Originally Posted by procrastinator I don't stumble much better than that. |
I can't say I'm glad, as that sure doesn't help our crusade for topping the current best ever total. Do better tomorrow!!
And you survive still!! 
Last edited by drnull - 2006.01.25 14:39:54 |
astrokath
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 3258
Best Total: 13m 42s | Posted - 2006.01.26 07:57:18
Quote: Originally Posted by drnull ... as that sure doesn't help our crusade for topping the current best ever total. |
Crusade? Not sure I like the idea of that!
Anyway, I've done my bit to help "The Cause" - we're down to sub-30mins now |
astrokath
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 3258
Best Total: 13m 42s | Posted - 2006.01.26 08:01:21
Oooh! I've seen a new pattern!
The two bottom corners each have it in today's puzzle, and it's a very rapid solve compared to the trial and error method.
Wish I'd spotted it before doing trial and error though - it would've taken at least another minute off the clock. Damn!
Last edited by astrokath - 2006.01.26 08:09:17 |
drnull
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 1053
Best Total: 23m 25s | Posted - 2006.01.26 14:05:36
Quote: Originally Posted by astrokath Oooh! I've seen a new pattern! |
Does the pattern have 5 numbers in it? Just wondering if you happened to simplify it more than that. Their sum is 12. I'm still looking at it to see if I can simplify it.
It's interesting. I've seen 3's and 2's before, and wondered if there was a pattern... Especially
Which always catches my eye, and I think there should be something there, but there's not. (to my knowledge...) |
astrokath
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 3258
Best Total: 13m 42s | Posted - 2006.01.26 14:58:41
Quote: Originally Posted by drnull Quote: Originally Posted by astrokath Oooh! I've seen a new pattern! |
Does the pattern have 5 numbers in it? Just wondering if you happened to simplify it more than that. |
Yes, and there sum is twelve.
I can get (by memory) 5 lines and a cross. There are two possible solutions beyond that, which are a lot quicker to work through than without the first bits. |
foilman
Kwon-Tom Admin
Puzzles: 3939
Best Total: 24m 6s | Posted - 2006.01.26 15:04:28
Quote: Originally Posted by astrokath I can get (by memory) 5 lines and a cross. |
This pattern I've known about for a while; you can get 3 lines and a cross from it:-
(assuming the 3 is in the bottom-left corner)
I'm guessing yours is just an extension of that?
Last edited by foilman - 2006.01.26 15:06:08 |
astrokath
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 3258
Best Total: 13m 42s | Posted - 2006.01.26 15:04:48
Yes, I was just extending from that to get the extra two lines.
Quote: Originally Posted by drnull It's interesting. I've seen 3's and 2's before, and wondered if there was a pattern... Especially Which always catches my eye, and I think there should be something there, but there's not. (to my knowledge...) |
Let's have a think...
Blocking off the top left gives you:
The only other place that gives you any immediate lines is if you do the inverse to the lower 3.... or, if you have a line meeting one of the corners on the two.
This can be a fruitful place to make progress, but only when you start with some extra information.
Last edited by astrokath - 2006.01.26 15:06:35 |
drnull
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 1053
Best Total: 23m 25s | Posted - 2006.01.26 15:13:47
Quote: Originally Posted by foilman This pattern I've known about for a while; you can get 3 lines and a cross from it:- |
That's new to me as well. But can't you get 4 lines & a cross? |
drnull
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 1053
Best Total: 23m 25s | Posted - 2006.01.26 15:16:38
Quote: Originally Posted by astrokath Let's have a think... Blocking off the top left gives you: |
I don't think that's true.
Even if the ?'s are all x's, it's still a valid alternative, given a blocking of the top left.
Last edited by drnull - 2006.01.26 15:17:43 |
astrokath
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 3258
Best Total: 13m 42s | Posted - 2006.01.26 15:19:12
Quote: Originally Posted by drnull I don't think that's true. Even if the ?'s are all x's, it's still a valid alternative, given a blocking of the top left. |
Whoops. Forgot about that option. Probably explains my times this week! |
astrokath
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 3258
Best Total: 13m 42s | Posted - 2006.01.26 15:20:09
Quote: Originally Posted by drnull
That's new to me as well. But can't you get 4 lines & a cross?
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Yes. |
foilman
Kwon-Tom Admin
Puzzles: 3939
Best Total: 24m 6s | Posted - 2006.01.26 16:29:20
Quote: Originally Posted by drnull That's new to me as well. But can't you get 4 lines & a cross? |
And it's a "yes" from me too! I'd forgotten that last line... |
