Thread - US Sudoku Team qualifying test

@ 2011-09-21 9:58 AM (#5665) (#5665) Top

debmohanty

Country : India

debmohanty posted @ 2011-09-21 9:58 AM

Link : http://wpc.puzzles.com/ussc11
Date : 24-Sep
Time (Fixed window) : 1PM EDT

Designers : Thomas Snyder and Wei-Hwa Huang

@ 2011-09-24 2:16 PM (#5669 - in reply to #5665) (#5669) Top

mjaipal

Posts: 15

Country : India

mjaipal posted @ 2011-09-24 2:16 PM

Hi Deb, there is some problem with the site. I am able to download the files from alternate link, but dont have the passwords for IB & practice test. Do u have the passowrds?
Any suggestions?

@ 2011-09-24 4:21 PM (#5670 - in reply to #5669) (#5670) Top

Fred76

Posts: 337

Country : Switzerland

Fred76 posted @ 2011-09-24 4:21 PM

mjaipal: all passwords are in the "Decryption Passwords" pages, including password for instructions puzzles (strange that this pdf is protected

).

I see that there are problems with server right now, and we can't access to this page.

I've written the password, it is: narwhal

Fred

Edited by Fred76 2011-09-24 4:21 PM

@ 2011-09-24 4:29 PM (#5671 - in reply to #5670) (#5671) Top

Fred76

Posts: 337

Country : Switzerland

Fred76 posted @ 2011-09-24 4:29 PM

More precisely, I haven't written the password, I've a good memory...

@ 2011-09-24 4:30 PM (#5672 - in reply to #5671) (#5672) Top

debmohanty

Country : India

debmohanty posted @ 2011-09-24 4:30 PM

Fred76 - 2011-09-24 4:29 PM

More precisely, I haven't written the password, I've a good memory...

@ 2011-09-24 4:40 PM (#5673 - in reply to #5672) (#5673) Top

Fred76

Posts: 337

Country : Switzerland

Fred76 posted @ 2011-09-24 4:40 PM

debmohanty - 2011-09-24 4:30 PM

Fred76 - 2011-09-24 4:29 PM

More precisely, I haven't written the password, I've a good memory...

Héhé...

I see the site is running now, so you can see the password here: http://wpc.puzzles.com/ussc11/password.asp (login before).

Fred

@ 2011-09-24 4:43 PM (#5674 - in reply to #5665) (#5674) Top

Fred76

Posts: 337

Country : Switzerland

Fred76 posted @ 2011-09-24 4:43 PM

I don't know how long the problem lasted. I hope it was not too long... When you published the instructions just 23h before the test, and when during this time there is such a problem that players can't read instructions, it doesn't look very serious...

Edited by Fred76 2011-09-24 4:45 PM

@ 2011-09-25 1:51 AM (#5678 - in reply to #5674) (#5678) Top

Fred76

Posts: 337

Country : Switzerland

Fred76 posted @ 2011-09-25 1:51 AM

Actually, it was serious

Some very good grids, as expected.
I did a lot of mistakes on the 2nd part.

@ 2011-09-25 2:52 AM (#5679 - in reply to #5678) (#5679) Top

motris

Posts: 199

Country : United States

motris posted @ 2011-09-25 2:52 AM

I don't think anyone plans for their website to go down.

Nick Baxter prefers for the instructions to be up for only one day so that "new" puzzles cannot be deconstructed as easily by other solvers. I'm not sure if it is as important on a sudoku test as it is on the USPC, but the four "new" types had a lot to learn from just playing through the full examples. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the grids.

@ 2011-09-25 3:20 AM (#5680 - in reply to #5679) (#5680) Top

Fred76

Posts: 337

Country : Switzerland

Fred76 posted @ 2011-09-25 3:20 AM

motris - 2011-09-25 2:52 AM

I don't think anyone plans for their website to go down.

Sorry for having posted a bit harsh comments. Of course, nobody is responsible for that fact. What made me react so was that I saw that we could download the instructions file, but without the password, it was not very usefull. But I think it was not long and it did perhaps affect nobody.

@ 2011-09-25 9:26 AM (#5681 - in reply to #5680) (#5681) Top

vopani

Posts: 739

Country : India

vopani posted @ 2011-09-25 9:26 AM

Really good set of sudokus. Thanks Thomas and Wei-Hwa.
I particularly found 3 sudokus excellent in this set: Pair Product, Parity and Just One Cell (2nd grid).

@ 2011-09-25 10:12 PM (#5689 - in reply to #5681) (#5689) Top

sylwan112

Posts: 4

Country : Poland

sylwan112 posted @ 2011-09-25 10:12 PM

Could you help me how (I know the answer) to solve the task "8. Just One Cell (Thomas Snyder)" from part one? I tried but I failed :)

@ 2011-09-25 11:41 PM (#5691 - in reply to #5689) (#5691) Top

motris

Posts: 199

Country : United States

motris posted @ 2011-09-25 11:41 PM

sylwan112 - 2011-09-25 9:12 AM

Could you help me how (I know the answer) to solve the task "8. Just One Cell (Thomas Snyder)" from part one? I tried but I failed :)

My original solution file on that puzzle showed the answer much much better than what got posted. See if this picture helps you assemble the many steps. The steps, which are certainly a bit challenging, involve finding the pairs in the middle of rows 2 and 8, and then following the consequences as shown.

@ 2011-09-26 1:58 AM (#5694 - in reply to #5689) (#5694) Top

sylwan112

Posts: 4

Country : Poland

sylwan112 posted @ 2011-09-26 1:58 AM

Thanks a lot :)


	@ 2011-09-21 9:58 AM (#5665) (#5665) Top
debmohanty Country : India	debmohanty posted @ 2011-09-21 9:58 AM Link : http://wpc.puzzles.com/ussc11 Date : 24-Sep Time (Fixed window) : 1PM EDT Designers : Thomas Snyder and Wei-Hwa Huang
	@ 2011-09-24 2:16 PM (#5669 - in reply to #5665) (#5669) Top
mjaipal Posts: 15 Country : India	mjaipal posted @ 2011-09-24 2:16 PM Hi Deb, there is some problem with the site. I am able to download the files from alternate link, but dont have the passwords for IB & practice test. Do u have the passowrds? Any suggestions?
	@ 2011-09-24 4:21 PM (#5670 - in reply to #5669) (#5670) Top
Fred76 Posts: 337 Country : Switzerland	Fred76 posted @ 2011-09-24 4:21 PM mjaipal: all passwords are in the "Decryption Passwords" pages, including password for instructions puzzles (strange that this pdf is protected ). I see that there are problems with server right now, and we can't access to this page. I've written the password, it is: narwhal Fred Edited by Fred76 2011-09-24 4:21 PM
	@ 2011-09-24 4:29 PM (#5671 - in reply to #5670) (#5671) Top
Fred76 Posts: 337 Country : Switzerland	Fred76 posted @ 2011-09-24 4:29 PM More precisely, I haven't written the password, I've a good memory...
	@ 2011-09-24 4:30 PM (#5672 - in reply to #5671) (#5672) Top
debmohanty Country : India	debmohanty posted @ 2011-09-24 4:30 PM Fred76 - 2011-09-24 4:29 PM More precisely, I haven't written the password, I've a good memory...
	@ 2011-09-24 4:40 PM (#5673 - in reply to #5672) (#5673) Top
Fred76 Posts: 337 Country : Switzerland	Fred76 posted @ 2011-09-24 4:40 PM debmohanty - 2011-09-24 4:30 PM Fred76 - 2011-09-24 4:29 PM More precisely, I haven't written the password, I've a good memory... Héhé... I see the site is running now, so you can see the password here: http://wpc.puzzles.com/ussc11/password.asp (login before). Fred
	@ 2011-09-24 4:43 PM (#5674 - in reply to #5665) (#5674) Top
Fred76 Posts: 337 Country : Switzerland	Fred76 posted @ 2011-09-24 4:43 PM I don't know how long the problem lasted. I hope it was not too long... When you published the instructions just 23h before the test, and when during this time there is such a problem that players can't read instructions, it doesn't look very serious... Edited by Fred76 2011-09-24 4:45 PM
	@ 2011-09-25 1:51 AM (#5678 - in reply to #5674) (#5678) Top
Fred76 Posts: 337 Country : Switzerland	Fred76 posted @ 2011-09-25 1:51 AM Actually, it was serious Some very good grids, as expected. I did a lot of mistakes on the 2nd part.
	@ 2011-09-25 2:52 AM (#5679 - in reply to #5678) (#5679) Top
motris Posts: 199 Country : United States	motris posted @ 2011-09-25 2:52 AM I don't think anyone plans for their website to go down. Nick Baxter prefers for the instructions to be up for only one day so that "new" puzzles cannot be deconstructed as easily by other solvers. I'm not sure if it is as important on a sudoku test as it is on the USPC, but the four "new" types had a lot to learn from just playing through the full examples. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the grids.
	@ 2011-09-25 3:20 AM (#5680 - in reply to #5679) (#5680) Top
Fred76 Posts: 337 Country : Switzerland	Fred76 posted @ 2011-09-25 3:20 AM motris - 2011-09-25 2:52 AM I don't think anyone plans for their website to go down. Sorry for having posted a bit harsh comments. Of course, nobody is responsible for that fact. What made me react so was that I saw that we could download the instructions file, but without the password, it was not very usefull. But I think it was not long and it did perhaps affect nobody.
	@ 2011-09-25 9:26 AM (#5681 - in reply to #5680) (#5681) Top
vopani Posts: 739 Country : India	vopani posted @ 2011-09-25 9:26 AM Really good set of sudokus. Thanks Thomas and Wei-Hwa. I particularly found 3 sudokus excellent in this set: Pair Product, Parity and Just One Cell (2nd grid).
	@ 2011-09-25 10:12 PM (#5689 - in reply to #5681) (#5689) Top
sylwan112 Posts: 4 Country : Poland	sylwan112 posted @ 2011-09-25 10:12 PM Could you help me how (I know the answer) to solve the task "8. Just One Cell (Thomas Snyder)" from part one? I tried but I failed :)
	@ 2011-09-25 11:41 PM (#5691 - in reply to #5689) (#5691) Top
motris Posts: 199 Country : United States	motris posted @ 2011-09-25 11:41 PM sylwan112 - 2011-09-25 9:12 AM Could you help me how (I know the answer) to solve the task "8. Just One Cell (Thomas Snyder)" from part one? I tried but I failed :) My original solution file on that puzzle showed the answer much much better than what got posted. See if this picture helps you assemble the many steps. The steps, which are certainly a bit challenging, involve finding the pairs in the middle of rows 2 and 8, and then following the consequences as shown.
	@ 2011-09-26 1:58 AM (#5694 - in reply to #5689) (#5694) Top
sylwan112 Posts: 4 Country : Poland	sylwan112 posted @ 2011-09-26 1:58 AM Thanks a lot :)