Implications of Sudoku Boards as Matrices

Location

Virtual | Room 2

Access Type

Campus Access Only

Entry Number

35

Start Date

4-7-2021 4:15 PM

End Date

4-7-2021 4:30 PM

Department

Mathematics

Abstract

This project focuses on a variant of the popular game known as Sudoku puzzles. Sudoku boards consist of a 9 x 9 grid composed of nine 3 x 3 boxes that contain nine individual squares each. A valid Sudoku board consists of the integers 1 through 9 placed exactly once in each box, column, and row in the board. This study focuses on the 4 x 4 variants of Sudoku boards called Shidoku boards. The researcher treated Shidoku boards as matrices to examine patterns that produced determinants of zero. Determinants are a numerical value that can be obtained from all square n x n matrices. These values are of interest to researchers as they influence certain properties of square matrices such as if a matrix has an inverse. This study found that a Shidoku board with two repeated pairs of integers on its main diagonal is guaranteed to have a determinant of zero regardless of integer placement in the board. Additionally, the researcher conducted an exhaustive search of Shidoku board determinants and found that 160 out of all 288 possible Shidoku boards have determinants of zero. The researcher found that all 12 potential patterns for Shidoku boards produce at least eight determinants of zero under the permutations of 1, 2, 3, and 4. Furthermore, the researcher also examined the determinants for the sums and differences of pairs of the 12 potential patterns for Shidoku boards.

Faculty Mentor(s)

Dr. Danny Cline
Dr. Jennifer Styrsky
Dr. Leslie Hatfield

Rights Statement

The right to download or print any portion of this material is granted by the copyright owner only for personal or educational use. The author/creator retains all proprietary rights, including copyright ownership. Any editing, other reproduction or other use of this material by any means requires the express written permission of the copyright owner. Except as provided above, or for any other use that is allowed by fair use (Title 17, §107 U.S.C.), you may not reproduce, republish, post, transmit or distribute any material from this web site in any physical or digital form without the permission of the copyright owner of the material.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS
 
Apr 7th, 4:15 PM Apr 7th, 4:30 PM

Implications of Sudoku Boards as Matrices

Virtual | Room 2

This project focuses on a variant of the popular game known as Sudoku puzzles. Sudoku boards consist of a 9 x 9 grid composed of nine 3 x 3 boxes that contain nine individual squares each. A valid Sudoku board consists of the integers 1 through 9 placed exactly once in each box, column, and row in the board. This study focuses on the 4 x 4 variants of Sudoku boards called Shidoku boards. The researcher treated Shidoku boards as matrices to examine patterns that produced determinants of zero. Determinants are a numerical value that can be obtained from all square n x n matrices. These values are of interest to researchers as they influence certain properties of square matrices such as if a matrix has an inverse. This study found that a Shidoku board with two repeated pairs of integers on its main diagonal is guaranteed to have a determinant of zero regardless of integer placement in the board. Additionally, the researcher conducted an exhaustive search of Shidoku board determinants and found that 160 out of all 288 possible Shidoku boards have determinants of zero. The researcher found that all 12 potential patterns for Shidoku boards produce at least eight determinants of zero under the permutations of 1, 2, 3, and 4. Furthermore, the researcher also examined the determinants for the sums and differences of pairs of the 12 potential patterns for Shidoku boards.