Futoshiki Challenge
Saturday October 14, 2006
The Guardian Futoshiki number three is published today. I’ll be posting the puzzle here as soon as I can, but the challenge to solve it is already open for whoever sees it before then. Submit your answers here…
Following last week’s post, there has been some doubts raised over this weekly puzzle as two alternative solutions were submitted to this website. What’s going on? Is Futoshiki flawed? We’ll see, but it’s still interesting to see other people’s solutions, especially if I get stuck.
So, today’s Futoshiki. Any ideas?
At least two solutions in row-major order:
Firstly:21345/12453/35124/54231/43512
Secondly:31245/12453/25314/54132/43521
Glyn Normington 14 October, 09:06 AM
How disappointing – it’s exactly the same as last week’s flawed puzzle for which I found 5 solutions (small variations on the one you published).
I wonder if anyone emailed the Guardian as I suspect that there is a < or > missing somewhere. Maybe they intended to republish the corrected version today and failed!
Steve 14 October, 10:40 AM
Yes it is a shame. Is the Futoshiki craze going to be short lived?
It isn't just The Guardian as the online generators are producing multiple-solution puzzles.
Oh well, time to turn to today’s Times Sumo Sudoku…
Stephen 14 October, 10:41 AM
Ah, but the Guardian claims their puzzles are hand-crafted so I would have thought they would have unique solutions.
Steve 14 October, 10:46 AM
@Steve: Good point. But I’ve been thinking anyway, as The Guardian claim exclusivity to Futoshiki I am going to contact them for an answer.
Stephen 14 October, 10:54 AM
I have emailed my disappointment to the readers’ editor who writes the Corrections and Clarifications column. If I get a reply I will post it here.
Steve 14 October, 10:56 AM
@Steve: I was going to do the same but you’ve beaten me to it. Thanks.
@Glyn: Congratulations on solving it here first anyway!
Stephen 14 October, 11:50 AM
Thanks Stephen. BTW I emailed the Guardian too. Hope they get the point as the puzzle could be quite interesting if it was not so broken.
Glyn Normington 14 October, 01:03 PM
I emailed the Guardian about #2 having got two solutions
in row major order
31245/12354/24513/45132/33421
and
21345/12453/35124/54231/43512
Today for #3 I have the same 2 solutions as Glyn Normington and the potential for more!
They need to add one or two more operators to make them unique, otherwise it’s not a challenge.
This puzzle has 5 solutions. Futoshiki program at www.ihsan.biz will detect and generate multiple solutions if they exist.
ihsan 26 October, 04:01 AM
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