What do new Sudoku techniques teach us about real-world problem solving?
desystemize.substack.com
What do new Sudoku techniques teach us about real-world problem solving?
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Re: What do new Sudoku techniques teach us about real-world problem solving?
#2It's been pretty amazing to watch the evolution of sudoku theory over even the last two years, some truly genius work by eg Phistomofel, Aad van de Wetering, Totally Normal Cat as well as the enormous contribution of Cracking the Cryptic
Re: What do new Sudoku techniques teach us about real-world problem solving?
#3The author describes a process called "ontological remodeling", which is when a change in viewpoint radically simplifies a previously intractable problem. This is the story, not just of Sudoku, but all of mathematics.
Re: What do new Sudoku techniques teach us about real-world problem solving?
#4The extrapolated concept is great for life in general. Quite literally use different vocabulary to reframe an existing challenge to force a shift in perspective and thereby arrive at a different problem.
A quite simple observation by the article on how perhaps to approach challenging life issues as well as say mathematical ones. As shifting perspectives when in the trenches of complex life challenges is really hard.
Re: What do new Sudoku techniques teach us about real-world problem solving?
#5The author describes a process called "ontological remodeling", which is when a change in viewpoint radically simplifies a previously intractable problem. This is the story, not just of Sudoku, but all of mathematics.
Chapman's writings on the subject are worth a read:
Re: What do new Sudoku techniques teach us about real-world problem solving?
#6The extrapolated concept is great for life in general. Quite literally use different vocabulary to reframe an existing challenge to force a shift in perspective and thereby arrive at a different problem. A quite simple observation by the article on how perhaps to approach challenging life issues as well as say mathematical ones. As shifting perspectives when in the trenches of complex life challenges is really hard.
The article I link at the beginning of this one, Representation and Uncertainty, is about exactly this - how to think about the extrapolated concept of representation for life in general. Self-promo I know but I think anyone who resonates with your comment would really enjoy it: https://desystemize.substack.com/p/representation-and-uncert...
Re: What do new Sudoku techniques teach us about real-world problem solving?
#7This feels like it’s related to abstraction but not exactly the same thing. Can’t really put my finger on it.
Re: What do new Sudoku techniques teach us about real-world problem solving?
#8The author describes a process called "ontological remodeling", which is when a change in viewpoint radically simplifies a previously intractable problem. This is the story, not just of Sudoku, but all of mathematics.
Indeed. After reading the title of the post, I thought it may be about the Cook-Levin theorem, which is about how all NP problems (of which Sudoku is one) can be reduced to one another.
Re: What do new Sudoku techniques teach us about real-world problem solving?
#9"Ontological remodeling" is a lovely term. I think it's ubiquitous actually, but another nice example is the puzzle about tiling a chessboard with dominoes when the board is missing two opposite corners. Can you do it? If so, how? If not, why not?
Btw is the footnote a joke? I don't really get it:
The sum of the digits 1 to 9 is 45[1]
[1] This is a secret that Simon only tells his closest friends.
Re: What do new Sudoku techniques teach us about real-world problem solving?
#10"Ontological remodeling" is a lovely term. I think it's ubiquitous actually, but another nice example is the puzzle about tiling a chessboard with dominoes when the board is missing two opposite corners. Can you do it? If so, how? If not, why not? Btw is the footnote a joke? I don't really get it: The sum of the digits 1 to 9 is 45[1] [1] This is a secret that Simon only tells his closest friends.
Using the 'secret' is a common way of deriving further digits in a Sudoku - if you know the sum of digits in a row or a box has to be X, then the missing digits must sum to 45-X. In the 'Cracking The Cryptic' videos, Simon is always careful to explain this, and always prefaces it with a warning that he only tells it to his closest friends (all 400k of them).