dailysudoku.com

nataraj · Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 7:02 pm Post subject:

Let's not confuse things here Smile

(Greek mythology is confusing enough without additional inventions)

Ariadne's thread was used to get back out of the labyrinth.
During that phase there was neither trial nor error nor backtracking of any kind (that may have happened earlier, but...)
We are never told exactly HOW Theseus found the Minotaur (holler "hey stupid Mino, here I am, come and get me!!!"? who knows?

So I'd say "Ariadne's Thread" is a bad pick in terms of "historical" accuracy, but a perfect name for a method, since everyone seems to be able to immediately figure out the method from the name.

I wish more user's manuals were like this: immediately obvious (and less technically "correct")

BTW, can anyone give a similar colorful explanation for Bowman's Bingo? I picture something like a deer hunt where the hunters are blindfolded and the deer yells "Bingo!" when somebody actually manages to hit it by pure chance. (now we can calculate the respective probabilities of a deer yelling "Bingo" and a chance hit, but I'll leave that to the more serious-minded Wink

)

storm_norm · Joined: 18 Oct 2007 Posts: 1741

bowman bingo, everyone knows how to play bingo???
http://www.setbb.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=52&highlight=bowman+bingo&mforum=sudoku

not sure if that link does anything for you, but bowman bingo works by covering cells with chips much like in a game of bingo. its a manual search for contradiction chains. and what I gather from the discussion is that the originator of the manual process was Bowman.

now something colorful?? imagine playing bingo with arrows??? just aim and shoot. that is how you would start a bowman bingo search.

nataraj · Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 8:40 pm Post subject:

WOW!!!

Thanks, Norm! I'm impressed. There's actually a method behind the catchphrase ...

Too bad ... Evil or Very Mad

I was thinking more along these lines (with deer, of course)

(Scott Adams, You Won't Survive By Your Wits Alone, p.88 )

keith · Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 11:35 pm Post subject:

Ariadne's thread is, as I understand it, a guess: Choose A, not B. Follow the implications of A. If the choice of A results in a contradiction, follow the thread backwards, and choose B.

Bowman's Bingo is programmed in Sudoku Susser. I have not found it useful for explaining possible pencil and paper solving techniques.

Keith

sideli123 · Joined: 20 Dec 2005 Posts: 7

I have been working on this puzzle for quite awhile. I've been unable to get past the following: Can someone help?

--- 1-8 --4
4-- --- 812
81- -4- 73-

97- -85 -61
-8- -1- --7
361 47- -8-

-39 -5- 148
1-8 --4 -73
-4- 8-1 ---

keith · Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 12:37 am Post subject:

You posted:

sideli123 · Joined: 20 Dec 2005 Posts: 7

Thanks much. Staring me right in the face.