This is a brand new puzzle Product Killer Sudoku with Unknown Numbers.
It uses nine different non-negative integers as cell values.
Each cell value occurs once in each row, column and nonet.
No cage has a repeated cell value, including the many cages were the product is not given.
Despite it's appearance, this is a gentle puzzle.
It has a unique solution, but you don’t need to know that fact to solve it.
And you don’t need a computer program or a spreadsheet!
It’s fully solvable with just an simple eight digit calculator and standard logic.
Most people won't even need the calculator!
Home page.
Contact and eBook details.
WARNING. SOLUTION FOLLOWS.
In response to many emails, here is some help on getting started with this puzzle.
All of the questions related to the method of determining the cell values set. Several fell into the trap of assuming that the cell value set was 0 to 8.
I use an asterisk, *, to show multiplication, and I have omitted filling in cells for clarity.
Many of the products are unique whatever set of cell values is in use.
9 = 1 * 9
2 = 1 * 2
6 = 1 * 2 * 3
15 = 1 * 3 * 5
0 = 0 * anything
In row 1, the 18 cage can only be 3 * 6 as both 1 an 9 are already in that row.
Now we know that 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 9 are cell values. Just two more are required.
Again in row 1, the possibilities for product 64 are 2 * 32 and 4 * 16. (1 * 64 is excluded by 1 * 9)
If 64 = 4 * 16 we would have used up all nine cell values. We would not be able form product 14 in row 8.
So 64 = 2 * 32 which means that 32 is a cell value. Just one is more are required. It must be 7, so the product 14 can be constructed.
With the full set of cell values (0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 32) most of the given products are now unique.
192 = 6 * 32. 21 = 3 * 7. 30 = 5 * 6. 35 = 5 * 7. 288 = 9 * 32. 960 = 1 * 5 * 6 * 32 1344 = 6 * 7 * 32. 2016 = 7 * 9 * 32. 224 = 7 * 32. 14 = 7 * 2.
From here it’s as easy as catching fish in a barrel. Absolutely no need to work out the omitted products.
Please let me know if you enjoy this variety of sudoku puzzle. And also if you would be likely to purchase an eBook containing product killer sudoku.
Peter Sudoku.
