Araf (Inequality) by Thomas Snyder
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Theme: Growing Up
Author/Opus: This is the 373rd puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.
Rules: Variation of Araf rules. Divide the grid into some regions formed of edge-adjacent squares. Each cell is part of one region, and each region should contain exactly two given numbers, one in a yellow circle (>) and one in a red circle (<). Each region must have an area that is strictly between the two inequality values.
Difficulty: 2 stars
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:30, Master = 2:30, Expert = 5:00
Solution: PDF
Note: Follow this link for more Araf puzzles on this website. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Araf Puzzles to get started on. More Araf puzzles can be found in the ebook Araf by Serkan Yürekli.
Pedantic point: As currently worded, the rules would allow, for instance, an area 3 region containing a “>4” circle and a “<2" circle.
Tricky one … thought it was impossible for a while!
Great content. One suggestion. Using green edges and lines becomes a bit confusing for me. I know I can change it myself, but perhaps setting lines to grey by default might be a good idea.