Zeta's Nightmare
(Published on 15. October 2021, 15:42 by zetamath)
Standard sudoku rules apply. Additionally, every line in the grid ends in two circles, and satisfies EXACTLY ONE of the following constraints:
Between line: The digits on a between line lie strictly between the digits in the circles.
Double Arrow: The digits on a double arrow sum to the same number as the sum of the two circles.
Which lines are which is to be determined by the solver. Do note that different lines emanating from the same circle may be of different types. Also note there is a negative constraint, no line can be BOTH a between line and a double arrow.
Have fun, leave a comment if you enjoy the puzzle!
Play this puzzle on the CTC App
Solution code: Column 7 followed by Column 9
Comments
on 21. September 2023, 19:24 by StephenR
Solving was not a nightmare, more a crazy dream in which you dance to the tune of a mad genius. Very difficult, but very rewarding.
on 25. August 2023, 21:07 by Counterfeitly
Definitely one of those puzzles where you screw up and start over at least once - fortunately, the lessons learned carry over!
on 21. July 2023, 19:55 by shteev
I like this puzzle a lot, although at times it felt like I was brute forcing it... I looked for short logical steps but sometimes the logic got so complex I just had to write it out. I fear the bifurcation police breaking down my door any second now...
on 23. October 2022, 13:17 by ddx2407
Gorgeous!
I love ambiguity puzzles. It has been a slow solve for me, but I never go for speed, and I especially appreciate how clear it was to know which part of the puzzle is the one to focus on next, even though you don't see immediately the outcome result.
Very well done! Thank you! ^_^
on 20. September 2022, 23:19 by Christounet
Outstanding puzzle ! The logic at the beginning is just incredibly good ! Your nightmare felt more like a sweet dream to me :) And I'm glad I put it to bed.
on 16. July 2022, 07:50 by wooferzfg
Wow, what an incredible puzzle. I loudly gasped at some of the deductions.
on 8. July 2022, 22:33 by TotallyNormalCat
Me, KNT and Niverio did a group solve session today and this puzzle was by far the hardest one out of all the ones we did, a solid 5 ⁷⁄₁₃ in difficulty. Amazing puzzle
on 8. July 2022, 22:26 by Niverio
Brutal and gorgeous!
on 19. December 2021, 20:49 by twototenth
A terrifying beast of a puzzle, but in all the best ways. Magnificent work.
on 4. November 2021, 14:54 by henrypijames
The break-in was hard (it was like: Wow!), and then (after a number of cells have been filled) it got even harder (like: Now what?! Wait - OMG!). Do agree with 4 stars difficulty in the end.
However, one has no choice but to find all the wonderful pieces of logic, as this puzzle is pretty much bifurcation-proof.
Simon should definitely do *this* one on the CTC. Two Truths and a Lie is nice, and Triple is neat, but this one is in another class.
on 24. October 2021, 20:17 by Playmaker6174
A delicate design with fairly challenging difficulty, had to be careful at some points but there're definitely many beautiful deductions throughout the solve :)
on 19. October 2021, 23:56 by Andrewsarchus
Outstanding Puzzle! Some tricky to find logical steps, but when you find them, they are so sweet!
on 15. October 2021, 21:19 by Vebby
Very nice! One hard step in the middle, but other than that it was smooth. Lovely throwback to your Ambiguity puzzles, thanks zetamath!
