Can you explain to me where the next number can be placed and why???

1 _ _ | _ 3 4 | _ _ 9
7 4 _ | _ _ 9 | _ _ _
3 _ 9 | _ 8 7 | 2 _ _
--------------------------------------------
_ 9 _ | 7 2 _ | 1 5 3
_ 3 _ | _ _ 5 | 9 _ 7
5 1 7 | _ 9 3 | _ 2 _
---------------------------------------------
9 _ 3 | _ 5 _ | _ _ 2
_ _ _ | 3 _ _ | _ 9 6
6 _ _ | 9 7 _ | _ _ 5

The bold numbers is what was originally given.

i've checked the answer, i have not made any mistake, but i REFUSE to place any number with out knowing why it can be determined. (i.e. i only used the back to check my progress NOT to fill in any box!!!)

this is a fiendish puzzle from a NY post puzzle book.

WHO IS GOING TO CLUE ME IN???

Happy New Year to you FL. I enjoy doing Sudoku puzzles but there's not any particular order to them. Everyone will start in different places. It's more a process of elimination. Just pencil in the possible numbers (there may be 4 or 5 possibilities for some of the gaps) and then rub them out as you go along. Does that make sense?

Happy New Year to you too TT!!!

Yes, i understand the process but when i try to work on a fiendish one, i generally get to a point where i cannot figure out any more boxes, they all have too many possiblities and my process of elimination ends.

i'm still waiting for some brillant person to tell me the reasoning that proves that a certain number has to be in a particular box in the above puzzle!!

anyone???

BUMP!!!

come on isn't there anyone here smart enough to figure out any of the empty boxes???

you guys are disappointing me!!!

weekend assignment for the lot of you! and i expect some answers before i get into work on monday morning.

Ok I will try to explain - let me think.
the rows that have say a 2 in the up and down/side to side -can not have another 2 in them and so on. What I do is use a pencil and then if you have 2 #'s as possible for a box I write those 2 numbers in the top of one box. As you get more numbers in the other boxes the coices will become less and less until bingo there it is. It takes alot of practice and patients -just go for it and good luck. It is something u need to work on almost daily.

no, you are not understanding me,

i have done many many puzzles, i know how it works.

I just cannot do THIS one.

I have even done the cube sudoku puzzle, the one that has 9 layers and not only do you have to work out each puzzle but they have to work out such that then they are put on top of each other, you can not repeat any number. (in case you are interested it is located here ) and I figured that out. I have gotten stuck a few times and this is one of those times so i'm wanting to know if anyone here can find some box in this particular puzzle to make some progress. and if they can, if they would explain the logic to me.

too much to ask for????

this site has taught me so much... can't it teach me how to solve this one sudoku puzzle???

Let's see...

Look at the bottom center grid. If you write all the possibilities for each square in the grid, you should get something like this.

top left - 1,4,6,8
top right - 1,6,8
center - 1,4
middle right - 1,2,8
bottom right - 1,2,8

those are taken from looking at what numbers remain in the grid, and what numbers are left in the row and column. Like for the grid, the numbers 1,2,4,5,and 8 are left. For the center box, the 2,5, and 8 are already in the column so you scratch those leaving only the 1 and 4.

OK, now the tricky part. Now see the number one is in all cells in the grid. However, if you look at the grids above it, you can see that 1's appear in the first two columns but not in the third column. That means that 1 has to be in the third column. For example, if the 1 was in the center cell, that would mean it would cause a problem in the upper two grids because if you rule out 1's in the center column of the two grids above it, both of them have to have a 1 in the first column. Get it?

So, if you say 1 cannot be in the first or second column in the bottom center grid, that means a "4" has to be in the middle.

There's your next number.

Hope that helps,
SNT

Oh sorry

The aim of the canonical puzzle is to enter a numerical digit from 1 through 9 in each cell of a 9×9 grid made up of 3×3 subgrids (called "regions"), starting with various digits given in some cells (the "givens"). Each row, column, and region must contain only one instance of each numeral. Completing the puzzle requires patience and logical ability.

Oops, guess I should have read the whole thread first, sorry I couldn't help!

Cat A, you made me laugh!!!\

SNT, you may be the brillant person i was looking for, i have to read your logic closer while looking at the puzzle, i'll let ya know!!

SNT, yup, it is official, you are the one <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

your explaination was just a little off because it is actually 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 that are still needing to be placed in that bottom center grid, but same result, only 1 or 4 can be in that middle number because 2 and 8 are already in the same column and 6 is in the same row.

the part i missed is how the 1 cannot be in the center column because it HAS to be in the right column since the other two grids above do not have a place for a one in the last column.

so SIMPLE, not that you have pointed it out to me.

THANKS!!!!!

no prob T2M...my pleasure.

glad you caught the logic typo. not sure what i was thinking. anyway, glad you got it!

good luck, SNT