Okay I think I understand how to solve the middle puzzle but how do you know which number is the error that needs to be fixed? once I fix the error it should not be too difficult to solve.
If you've already done medium-difficulty Kakuro puzzles, you can tell roughly WHERE the "error" is, but not easily what to change to fix it. But you can just start from the opposite end of the puzzle instead and work your way back. Eventually the error becomes obvious.
I actually have not done kakuro puzzles before today but I did a couple online for practice and I can't find the error but without it I am sure solving it would be easy
Really appreciate this challenge being mobile-friendly and don't need any specific pc program.
If the middle puzzle seems odd, link it together with the two other puzzles (as always, order them by prefix keyword suffix) to see the whole string better.
Actually, of the 5 or 6 people I have provided some assistance to or worked with on this puzzle, all found the last steps once the 3 puzzles are decoded to be the longest and need the most musing.
Solving Kakuro is usually by process-of-elimination. There's only one set-of-digits with the correct sum, and only one ordering of those digits works. Every puzzle has a guaranteed unique solution.
Always try to start with the rows/columns that have the fewest possibilities.
Thanks so much for that, it was very helpful for me (my alternative was to zoom in, sample the RGB colors of the border pixels, and compare 😅)
By the way this time the format is #xx#x#<keyword>##xx and even though the puzzle answers seem to spell out the different parts of the code, I would recommend to assemble them before trying to guess the final code...
The first logic problem will have multiple answers that contradict. Look at the first few clues to immediately see a contradiction. Try out the couple of possibilities to see which is correct.
The middle puzzle involves changing the numbers till you get it all correct with only one, not multiple errors. The third, left puzzle has defined starting points - finite answers. Use these and only one Q will be incorrect, but with multiple ways of finding the answers (ie vertically and horizontally) you will get there. In all these puzzles there is more than one way to find each answer. Try each way till you get only one error, then fix the error using the clue provided by the other way of solving. Voila!
Here is a simplest case of an "impossible" Kakuro:
\ 3 4
4 . .
6 . .
Since numbers cannot be duplicated in any sum, you know that a "4" must contain a 1 and 3, and a 3 must contain a 1 and 2. Therefore the top-left MUST be a "1", it's the only duplicated digit in both sums.
But filling in the rest of the digits, you quickly find that you cannot fit ANY digit in the bottom-right. Therefore you know that either the "4" is a lie or the "6" is a lie.
In the context of the bigger puzzle in the challenge, you can find approximately where the error must be, but you cannot easily determine which specific clue is the lie. So work from the other end of the puzzle, and eventually you make it back to the impossible set, and can through logic determine which cell(s) are affected.
I also had the same thoughts, though - dammit, without the errors, solving each puzzle would be easy! The second layer of logic required to solve makes this challenge really requiring of brainpower, and a healthy dose of skepticism to question each answer.
In any row or column of a Kakuro puzzle, yes numbers can be repeated. But in any individual SUM, there can NOT be repeated numbers. ie. There can be more than one sum in any row separated by black spaces.
The puzzle on the right is not a Kakuro, and behaves according to its own rules.
But knowing that the error is "off by 9" does not pinpoint the error. At best it can help confirm that, when you finally FIND the error, it was probably the "right" error.
Man, I'm finding not just one clue I can't work with in the right puzzle, but several: a lot of the references are circular, including one that's just an exponent of itself. Not sure what to do with those.
Comments
this time the code looks like this: #xx#x#[keyword]##xx
Okay I think I understand how to solve the middle puzzle but how do you know which number is the error that needs to be fixed? once I fix the error it should not be too difficult to solve.
If you've already done medium-difficulty Kakuro puzzles, you can tell roughly WHERE the "error" is, but not easily what to change to fix it. But you can just start from the opposite end of the puzzle instead and work your way back. Eventually the error becomes obvious.
I actually have not done kakuro puzzles before today but I did a couple online for practice and I can't find the error but without it I am sure solving it would be easy
Really appreciate this challenge being mobile-friendly and don't need any specific pc program.
If the middle puzzle seems odd, link it together with the two other puzzles (as always, order them by prefix keyword suffix) to see the whole string better.
The tip to remember Dreamer was helpful!
How do you find the error for the middle and right puzzles I think I have the right answer for the first one?
Punky
Actually, of the 5 or 6 people I have provided some assistance to or worked with on this puzzle, all found the last steps once the 3 puzzles are decoded to be the longest and need the most musing.
really worked hard for this challenge ... and I appreciate it ... thanks for the challenge and instructions
Solving Kakuro is usually by process-of-elimination. There's only one set-of-digits with the correct sum, and only one ordering of those digits works. Every puzzle has a guaranteed unique solution.
Always try to start with the rows/columns that have the fewest possibilities.
Happy New Year! Bottoms Up!
I still am not understanding how to find the error though? is there a method to find them?
Is there a reason I is missing from an otherwise uninterrupted alphabet on the 3rd puzzle?
Can you use repeat numbers or only unique numbers in each row or column?
Thanks so much for that, it was very helpful for me (my alternative was to zoom in, sample the RGB colors of the border pixels, and compare 😅)
By the way this time the format is #xx#x#<keyword>##xx and even though the puzzle answers seem to spell out the different parts of the code, I would recommend to assemble them before trying to guess the final code...
About the middle puzzle, sum up all the across hints then all the down hints. These two sums should be equal.
If not, one hint is exactly wrong with that difference.
The first logic problem will have multiple answers that contradict. Look at the first few clues to immediately see a contradiction. Try out the couple of possibilities to see which is correct.
The middle puzzle involves changing the numbers till you get it all correct with only one, not multiple errors. The third, left puzzle has defined starting points - finite answers. Use these and only one Q will be incorrect, but with multiple ways of finding the answers (ie vertically and horizontally) you will get there. In all these puzzles there is more than one way to find each answer. Try each way till you get only one error, then fix the error using the clue provided by the other way of solving. Voila!
Good luck!
Here is a simplest case of an "impossible" Kakuro:
\ 3 44 . .6 . .Since numbers cannot be duplicated in any sum, you know that a "4" must contain a 1 and 3, and a 3 must contain a 1 and 2. Therefore the top-left MUST be a "1", it's the only duplicated digit in both sums.
But filling in the rest of the digits, you quickly find that you cannot fit ANY digit in the bottom-right. Therefore you know that either the "4" is a lie or the "6" is a lie.
In the context of the bigger puzzle in the challenge, you can find approximately where the error must be, but you cannot easily determine which specific clue is the lie. So work from the other end of the puzzle, and eventually you make it back to the impossible set, and can through logic determine which cell(s) are affected.
I also had the same thoughts, though - dammit, without the errors, solving each puzzle would be easy! The second layer of logic required to solve makes this challenge really requiring of brainpower, and a healthy dose of skepticism to question each answer.
In any row or column of a Kakuro puzzle, yes numbers can be repeated. But in any individual SUM, there can NOT be repeated numbers. ie. There can be more than one sum in any row separated by black spaces.
The puzzle on the right is not a Kakuro, and behaves according to its own rules.
I think it's just to avoid serif versus sans serif font confusion. upper case "i" looks like lower case "L" in some fonts
Thank you!!! This is very helpful to me!
The puzzle was interesting. Thanks for instructions.
is this still referring to the middle puzzle is the error off by 9?
To the Kakuro puzzle, yes.
But knowing that the error is "off by 9" does not pinpoint the error. At best it can help confirm that, when you finally FIND the error, it was probably the "right" error.
I'm still stuck at trying to put all the 3 different solutions into 1 passcode. The middle one just seems random.
Welcome, I've been trying to do that for the last 5 hours...
To recap (correct me if I'm wrong):
5 characters (number = 1 char) from the right puzzle (not sure about the pink one, does not fit into the prepared boxes)
7 characters from the middle (again, not sure about the pink),
5 chars from the left, ending as usual passcodes end.
I'm guessing my English is not good enough to get keyword from the middle puzzle?
I fyo uca nrea dthi sthe nyo uca nfinis h
how will you know you found the error in the middle puzzle?
If, when you calculate all the sums, only one clue differs.
Man, I'm finding not just one clue I can't work with in the right puzzle, but several: a lot of the references are circular, including one that's just an exponent of itself. Not sure what to do with those.
I know the error in the middle puzzle is off by 9 but I don't know where the error is