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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%)
Comments
I just ran across your blog
I just ran across your blog as I was doing research for a magazine article about Sudoku and similar logic puzzles.
Regarding your question at the end of your entry for 5/27: I would like to suggest that you are not "reverting" at all. The values of the numbers are not important to solving the Sudoku puzzle, only the symbols. So the shapes are all you HAVE to think about to solve the puzzle. (Sudoku puzzles could be made with any 9 unique symbols (such as letters) or even colors!)
Good luck with your study!