The Puzzle Robot #26 – Different Neighbors
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or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)
Theme: 2013 XMas Tree
Rules: Place a digit from 0 to 3 into each area so that no two areas that touch (even diagonally) share the same digit.
Answer String: Enter the row marked A from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the column marked B from top to bottom.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:00, Master = 10:00, Expert = 20:00
Solution: PDF
31 mins …Very nice puzzle
Is there an elegant solution to this one? It seemed like a whole lot of trial and error.
I find when solving this style of puzzle that I primarily notate the 4-way junctions, and digits travel all across the grid at those spots as a result (you can often make a note because you will know the bottom two cells but not the top two cells will contain a 2, for example). Within that standard approach of propagating either/or placements across the grid, there was no need to guess on this puzzle.