Discrete Mathematics and Combinatorics Commons^™

Verifying Sudoku Puzzles, Chelsea Schweer

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Sudoku puzzles, created by Meki Kaji around 1983, consist of a square 9 by 9 grid made up of 9 rows, 9 columns, and nine 3 by 3 square sub-grids called blocks. The goal of the puzzle is to be able to place the numbers 1 through 9 in every row, column, and block where no number is repeated in each row, column, and block. Imagine being given a completed Sudoku puzzle and having to check that it was solved correctly. You could just check all the rows columns and blocks (27 items), but is there a smaller number of …