Bicycles
(Published on 27. September 2021, 05:19 by SirSchmoopy)
Standard Rules:
Normal Sudoku, little killer, killer, and thermo rules apply
Cycle Definitions:
Let a cycle be the horizontal path taken starting with a digit A in column X, then looking at digit B in Column A, then digit C in column B etc.
Let the order of a cycle be the number of unique digits contained in a cycle. For instance, the digits 1, 5, and 9 in a valid 1-5-9 puzzle are always contained in an order 2 cycle.
Cycle Thermo Rules:
Along with normal thermometer rules, the order of the cycles along thermometers also strictly increases starting from the bulb
Example:
See below for a thermo which is valid under this additional constraint. Cycles are illustrated in red, and their orders strictly increase starting from the bulb.
Walkthrough: I've created a walkthrough for this puzzle here which goes through the trickier steps of the intended solution path for reference.
Solution code: Row 8 + Column 7, no spaces (e.g. 123456789123456789)
Comments
on 9. March 2022, 04:02 by OGRussHood
Wow! This is one of the all-time great puzzles. I caught on to the rule set quickly. The way those thermos interacted with one another via the cycle rule... chef's kiss!
on 9. March 2022, 00:23 by Elliott810
Brilliant puzzle and a well deserved debut on CTC! Take a bow:)
on 7. November 2021, 17:56 by Crusader175
This is a very inventive constraint and very brilliant construction. I really loved it!
on 21. October 2021, 18:57 by SirSchmoopy
Updated with walkthrough now that the puzzle has been available for some time now.
on 1. October 2021, 17:07 by thoughtbyte
Very cool puzzle. I found it quite difficult, it just wasn't clicking for me quickly. But when it did, I really liked it. Cycles worked incredibly well with thermos, I'm eager to see other combinations you may come up with.
on 28. September 2021, 05:24 by twobear
Love the bi-cycles. Great construction.
Thank you!
on 27. September 2021, 10:08 by Arashdeep Singh
Another great cycle puzzle.
Loved it.
Edit: Congrats for appearance of your puzzle on CTC. Well deserved :D
