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Number Puzzles: Hidato
Mar. 6th, 2011 02:02 pmSome of you might know that I enjoy number puzzles (such as Sudoku and Kakuro), but I hadn't known just how far my enjoyment might reach until I picked up a discounted copy of Hidato, 200 Pure Logic Puzzles by Dr. Gyora Benedek, who, according to the sparse Wikipedia page, is an Israeli mathematician.
It's a rather fascinating puzzle, especially as it's similar to some of the programming puzzles I have to deal with as an ACM competitor.
You're given a grid of squares (typically square, though it's not required) with some of the numbers from 1 to the number of squares in the grid already placed seemingly at random.
The first and last numbers (1 and the number of squares in the grid) are always included, to make it a little easier.
Your task is to fill the rest of the numbers in, such that when you follow the numbers sequentially, you visit every square in the grid exactly once, stepping one square horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
(otherwise known as the Moore Neighbourhood)
I bought the book some time in last September or early October in 2010 and am almost finished the book now, with around a dozen puzzles left.
It's been one of those puzzles books that I like to take with me when I'm going somewhere on the bus so I have something interesting to do while I wait.
(the only other number puzzles I take with me on the bus is Sudoku, as I don't have a proper clip-on calculator for use with my Kakuro books yet)
It's a rather fascinating puzzle, especially as it's similar to some of the programming puzzles I have to deal with as an ACM competitor.
You're given a grid of squares (typically square, though it's not required) with some of the numbers from 1 to the number of squares in the grid already placed seemingly at random.
The first and last numbers (1 and the number of squares in the grid) are always included, to make it a little easier.
Your task is to fill the rest of the numbers in, such that when you follow the numbers sequentially, you visit every square in the grid exactly once, stepping one square horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
(otherwise known as the Moore Neighbourhood)
I bought the book some time in last September or early October in 2010 and am almost finished the book now, with around a dozen puzzles left.
It's been one of those puzzles books that I like to take with me when I'm going somewhere on the bus so I have something interesting to do while I wait.
(the only other number puzzles I take with me on the bus is Sudoku, as I don't have a proper clip-on calculator for use with my Kakuro books yet)
