The Sudoku Experiment

Playing at this website.

Playing at the "Easy" Level:

5/24/10

Spent 27 minutes on one puzzle. I found myself having to focus very hard on what I was doing, and once I got distracted (even if just for a second) it was very hard to get back into the game.  Not sure if this is because I am a Sudoku newcomer or my attention span is waning.  Time will tell!

5/25/10

29 minutes?? I blame lack of sleep. But such a satisfying win.

 5/26/10

3 puzzles, all solved: 12:37, 9:53, and 14:19 minutes! Much better than previous days.

5/27/10

3 puzzles solved: 15:19, 13:08, 16:18. It seems that when I start I start quickly and toward the middle of the puzzle get hung up, then speed through the end. I wonder if the middle will eventually become less torturous? Also, I think I'm beginning to see the number grid as a series of patterns based on the shape of the numbers; I feel as if I'm relying a lot more on unconscious reactions to shape (straight lines vs. curves, etc.) than consciously thinking about these shapes as numbers.  Perhaps reverting to a more basic, "primitive" state of learning and thinking?

6/1/10

3 puzzles, all solved: 16:04, 23:16, and 18:10.  Feeling slow, and a bit tired. For the first time the computer screen really got to my head and made me quite sleepy, and I got distracted a lot more, but I think this was a function of insufficient sleep the night before.

6/2/10

2 puzzles solved (11:24 and 9:15) and one given up on (15:48).

6/3/10

3 puzzles solved (15:48, 12:56, and 12:21). My average time has gone down by more than a minute! (from a little over 17 min. to about 16 min.)

6/4/10

3 puzzles: 11:55, 6:02, and 8:13. Getting better! I'm almost over the torturous middle hump. The puzzles flow much more nicely now.

6/7/10

Two puzzles--26:47 and 8:22...quite a time range. The first one I got really distracted on and the second flew by like nothing!

Playing at the "Medium" Level (percentages are those who completed the puzzle in less time):

6/7/10

First medium puzzle! 17:52, which is faster than my first easy puzzle.

6/8/10

11:36; one puzzle given up after about 38 minutes; 18:07; 13:06

6/9/10

22:38, 15:57 (89%), 19:13, 15:37 (89%), 17:00, 14:24

6/10/10

15:28

6/11/10

12:47 (82%), 18:13 (93%), 14:19 (86%), 17:47 (couldn't get a percentage because I made a mistake and pressed the "How am I doing?" button), 14:03 (no percentage)

6/14/10

33:14 (99%) lots of pausing and doing other things in between (like finishing a rough draft of an article, reading...); 18:54 (pressed button once so I couldn't get a percentage)
 

6/15/10

25:42 (couldn't get percentage); 11:50 (78%); 9:56 (68%)

6/16/10

Gave up after 19:00 (distracted by chocolate, tired)

6/17/10

20:46 (95%); 18:42 (no percentage); 10:14 (70%)

6/18/10

7:28 (top 48%!); 16:23 (90%)

6/24/10

15:50 (89%); 25:55 (gave up); 31:16 (99%); 15:52 (89%); 46:12 (couldn't get percentage...this is probably the most depressing time yet); 13:33 (84%) found myself getting very distracted today. After not playing for almost a week, I'm definitely rusty.

6/25/10

21:46 (no percentage); 17:31 (92%); 30:07 (98%)

6/29/10

9:25 (65%); 12:14 (80%); 14:13 (86%); 22:43 (96%); 21:56 (91%); 15:44 (87%); 20:10 (90%)

6/30/10

13:10 (83%); 16:00 (no percentage)

7/1/10

15:47 (89%); 15:19 (88%); gave up on one; 18:00 (92%); 19:40 (no percentage; made some mistakes and checked how I was doing)

7/6/10

14:44 (87%); 28:24 (98%)

7/7/10

14:58 (88%); 14:32 (no percentage)

7/8/10

9:16 (64%); 12:19 (80%)