Borromean Rings
(Published on 12. February 2023, 05:13 by Allagem)
I was watching a video on interesting mathematical objects and I was inspired to try to design a puzzle based on the Borromean Rings, which are a curious set of 3 rings intertwined in such a way that no 2 rings are actually linked together, and yet the presence of all 3 means the rings are mutually entangled. By defining some rules for the different colored rings and adding a few extra elements, I was able to create a nice-flowing puzzle. The only challenge left was to figure out how to present the puzzle in a way that kept the mathematical beauty of the Borromean Rings intact. I asked around the discord channel for assistance and MarkTekfan stepped up and offered to help create a playable puzzle in line with my original vision. It's thanks to him that I am able to present this puzzle in such a beautiful form, so a big thank you to MarkTekfan!
Update: This puzzle was featured on both BremSter Puzzles and Cracking the Cryptic!
Normal Sudoku rules apply.
Killer Cages: Digits in cages must sum to the number in the top left corner of the cage.
Parity Line: Adjacent digits on the red ring must alternate in parity (odd/even).
German Whisper: Adjacent digits on the green ring must differ by 5 or more.
Region Sum Line: Digits on the blue ring must sum to the same value in each box it passes through.
Special thanks to MarkTekfan for helping me create this absolutely beautiful Custom-SudokuPad Link
In case the above link doesn't work or you prefer more traditional-looking lines, here are some backup links:Solution code: Column 1 followed by row 9 (18 digits). Remember to type in r9c1 twice!
Comments
on 16. May 2023, 19:03 by damasosos92
That's just a fantastic puzzle. Thank you so much, the flow is so nice and I loved the idea and the interactions. Thank you.
on 22. April 2023, 06:35 by old-wave
Great puzzle! Thanks
on 24. March 2023, 23:03 by Klausku
Absolutely fantastic break-in!
on 24. March 2023, 05:57 by Allagem
Thank you everyone for all of the positive feedback! I've added a link to both BremSter's and Mark's solve video in the puzzle description :)
on 23. March 2023, 13:05 by Samish
Incredible finding! Beautiful and approachable, thank you
on 2. March 2023, 16:14 by LUORISHENHAIA
This is my first comment. It's a very good puzzle. It's very beautiful, as beautiful as my dream lover.
on 2. March 2023, 11:43 by aruvi
Very cool puzzle. Takes a bit to break in but flows smoothly once you get there.
on 24. February 2023, 21:31 by Montinox
Love the unique breakin!
on 19. February 2023, 00:22 by Nylimb
Nice interactions between the different types of clues!
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Thanks for the solve and the compliment!
on 13. February 2023, 17:15 by Raumplaner
A very smooth and fun puzzle with a very clever break-in.
on 13. February 2023, 04:11 by Allagem
Based on some offline feedback, I have reworked the end of the solve path to be a bit smoother. All links, the puzzle image, and the solution code have been updated
on 12. February 2023, 13:01 by Franjo
Approachable puzzle with a wonderful look! Thank you so much for sharing this one.
