Can anyone explain me the puzzle Lucky Column, if possible with an example..

Take a look at this puzzle below. A simple 6x6 puzzle. You need to shade all circles in some (generally two or more) columns such that every row has exactly one shaded circle. So, if you shade the 1st, 4th and 6th columns, you can easily see the conditions satisfied.







Attachments
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Puzzle.png (3KB - 5 downloads)
Solution.png (3KB - 2 downloads)

In the Screen Test, you will be given a puzzle like the one given below, though, bigger than a 6x6. If you solve this puzzle, you will realise there are two solutions. But both solutions contain the 2nd column. So, Column B is the 'lucky column' :-)

Click to show to see all the solutions


(Note: There might be more than two solutions of the puzzle, but EVERY solution contains the one LUCKY COLUMN)





Attachments
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Puzzle.png (3KB - 1 downloads)

Thanks a lot Rohan. I guess I am ready for the competition


Edited by macherlakumar 2010-12-03 9:54 AM

Demo button has been disabled.

The timings of the Screen Test is a little different from the usual monthly tests. It overlaps the usual timings and is for a longer period:

Start Time:
22:00 IST (16:30 GMT) on Friday.

End Time:
22:00 IST (16:30 GMT) on Monday.

That amounts to a period of 72 hours.
Screen Test 1 start 8hrs from now :-)

Checkout some interesting feedbacks about ST1 here

Screen Test 1 has started.

Good luck to all participants! :-)

Link for results is updated in ST1 landing page

After reviewing the first 20 results that we have received, it looks like some players have started ST#1 without reading the Guide.

2 things about scoring that everyone must know before starting ST#1

1) Solving a puzzle early and Clicking on next puzzle will fetch you bonus points. [If you don't click on 'next puzzle', you don't get bonus. You just get the base points ]
2) A wrong answer fetches you -ve points.

please read the guide for details!

"After reviewing the first 20 results that we have received, it looks like some players have started ST#1 without reading the Guide"

Guilty as charged...

My first time trying out a screen test puzzle, thought it was great fun -- I found myself wishing for another 30-45 seconds on several of the puzzles, but that was my own fault for not preparing better and knowing some of the solving tricks right off the bat.

Really well done interface and concept, compliments as always...

Dave

Three things I cant understand ...

1. I have checked and rechecked my answer for missing words and I am certain it is right but I do not think I was credited with a correct answer. Whih leads to number ...

2. I went back to check which ones on my result sheet I got wrong and it would not let me see the results I had again - until X number of minutes pass. (???)

3. Finally, I was ranked 10 of 28 when I was done. Now I am ranked 11 of 28 (???)... but no one else apparently took the test, yet I fell.

Great test. Loved taking it, just a bit confused now ...

Thanks for the hard work putting this together.

Regards,

TheSubro

1. Please check my PM
2. We had to put a constraint that while the tests are running, players can refresh only once in 30 minutes. [ We added this in Renban. Because we found that some players are refreshing the score page every other minute, which might affect the server performance while the test is running for others ]
3. For this test you are shown only your score. Some some other player would have finished between your 1st check and 2nd check.

My mistake.
The scoring page had an incorrect entry for Missing words. This has been fixed.

NOTE: This was a problem only in the score page. The puzzle has no problems.

I just checked my scores. It seems that all the changes that I did in the final 90 seconds have not been stored. I have entered two solutions of puzzles (Cell Sudoku, Multi ESB) that I did not finish before and I changed the solution of Brilliant Color.

Could you please check that? What could I have done wrong in that phase? When I remember correctly it was written that all changes will be submitted automatically after the 90 seconds period.

And then subro has written that he has been ranked nr.10/11. Where can I see my rank and the number of contestants (up to the current time of course)?

Thx for the event,
Stefan

Hi Stefan, I checked the database, and there is no entry during the review period. The only reason this could have happened is that you might have closed the browser before the 90 seconds period is over. I'm just saying that it is a possibility.
You can visit the test page again to see your rank. You should see a message in red that reads like 'You have completed LMI Screen Test #1. Your total score is x. Current rank is y (of z)'. If you are trying from a different computer, you need to login first.

Hi,

It was a fasinating 30 minutes!

Thanks a Ton for organizing such a wonderful test.

Frankly speaking, did couple of guesses, luckily it turned right.

3 Cheers,
Keshav

Thanks for that, guys, a great, if stressful, set of puzzles.

Hey,

I noticed that the labels (A,B,C and D) of the Sudoku Twins have changed order.
In the example they are labelled left to right as A-B-C-D, and in the test they are labelled as A-C-B-D

I input my answer as the letters appear in the example - I believe my intended answer was correct.
(I noticed this because I was surprised to get that one wrong!)

Great test!!,
Thanks
Ronald

Edited by ronald 2010-12-04 9:52 PM

Forget it, I think I was wrong anyway
But I did not put the letters I intended - because they appeared in a different order. Might be worth noting for future.

Man that was intense. It had my heart going the whole time... Thanks so much Deb. I'm pretty bummed, on the two I missed... LMI count I started to double count, and told myself 'you've never counted this type wrong, just get the bonus' ... go figure hah. And on Images count, I forgot that reflection was allowed!! Man, so close. I think if the example had a mirrored one I would have remembered. Oh well, so much fun. Thanks again to this site for having so much puzzle competitions. It seems so hard to believe now that just a few months ago I was having to wait a year at a time between the USPC. Thanks again LMI!!

Oh! One other thing... for next time, if there is any chance we could have just 30 more seconds in the review period.... I think I could've gotten two or three more answers with just another half minute heh...

Deb, Rohan: Great Screen test, thanks!

There were lot of puzzles in this test I left almost finished (for example with only 2 possible answers to decide) and I had to deal with them in the review period (~10 of these puzzles but managed to submit only 3)
I believe top solvers will be able to solve all puzzles in time limit, but I also think lot of people could find these puzzles too hard and given time is not enough for them.

So if we have bonus points for earlier sumbission, I think we can let competitors solve also after time limit of each puzzle for chance to get points for later submission (with points value decreasing 1point for each second after time limit)

Do you think it is good idea or do you like current system more?

It was a mistake on our part not to have reflection in the example image.

Not sure if/when ST#2 will happen.
We'll definitely review all the inputs from the forum.

In fact we had a longer list of feedback questions. One of the question was how long the Review Period should be.

So - request everyone to put any other specific feedback they have.