Dr. Sudoku Prescribes #34 – Outside Sudoku
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between Sudoku entry modes and a shading mode to mark off clues.)
Theme: A series of series (and a constant and a square) — The seemingly random numbers outside the grid actually have some rhyme and reason.
Rules: Standard Outside Sudoku rules.
Answer String: Enter the 7th row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 4th column from top to bottom.
Time Standard: Outside Sudoku Grandmaster = 5:00, Master = 7:00, Expert = 14:00
Solution: PDF
OK, so if I read the theme right, we have Fibonacci up the left side and curling around to the top, Powers of two going around to the 2/56, a little pi, perfect cubes around to the 512, and a 9.
The puzzle itself is an interesting solve that would feel like a good challenge and a worthwhile puzzle even without that theme. Looking back, I appreciate some of the structural details that actually do evolve from the theme. For example, the repeated digits in 125, 216 and 512 are useful early on, but pop out of the perfect cube sequence naturally. And similarly the emphasis on even digits from the powers of 2 forces the odd numbers on the right to be filled in relatively late in the puzzle.
13:49 !!
Loved the solving path.These Outside sudokus highlight the need to keep oneself open to possibilities and not get restricted to a particular area of the puzzle.
When i got the slightest idea of getting stuck i immediately jumped and focused on the outside clues and got numbers in quickly.
OK, so if I read the theme right, we have Fibonacci up the left side and curling around to the top, Powers of two going around to the 2/56, a little pi, perfect cubes around to the 512, and a 9.
The puzzle itself is an interesting solve that would feel like a good challenge and a worthwhile puzzle even without that theme. Looking back, I appreciate some of the structural details that actually do evolve from the theme. For example, the repeated digits in 125, 216 and 512 are useful early on, but pop out of the perfect cube sequence naturally. And similarly the emphasis on even digits from the powers of 2 forces the odd numbers on the right to be filled in relatively late in the puzzle.
13:49 !!
Loved the solving path.These Outside sudokus highlight the need to keep oneself open to possibilities and not get restricted to a particular area of the puzzle.
When i got the slightest idea of getting stuck i immediately jumped and focused on the outside clues and got numbers in quickly.