Schrödinger 201: Reversing Time's Arrow
(Published on 20. September 2023, 01:00 by ViKingPrime)
PUZZLE:
RULES:
"Normal" Schrödinger rules apply.
(i.e. place the digits 0 through 9 once each in every row, column and box;
two of the digits will have to share a Schrödinger Cell;
each row, column and box contains exactly one Schrödinger Cell).
• Arrow: Digits along an arrow must sum to the value in its originating circle.
• German Whisper (green): Cells along each German Whisper line must differ in value by at least five [5].
• Killer: Digits within a cage must sum to the number in the top-left corner (if given). Digits must not repeat within a cage.
• Kropki: White dots separate two cells of consecutive value; Black dots separate two cells where one is double the value of the other [ratio of 1:2] (not all dots are given).
MODIFIERS:
• Schrödinger Certainty (Additive): Logical constraints are only concerned with the sum total of a cell.
• Schrödinger Certainty (Unique): Each Schrödinger cell must be a unique pairing of digits.
INTRODUCTION:
The Schrödinger cells have been kept simplified, while still (hopefully) retaining some of the challenge. I'm particularly proud of this puzzle - I truly hope you enjoy.
Here are some puzzles from other setters using a similar constraint:
"Anti-Z" by Christounet
"The S-Cell Miracle" by Niverio
Have fun!
Solve in f-puzzles! (without the highlights)
Solve in SudokuPad! (without the highlights)
Solve in f-puzzles!
Solve in SudokuPad!
Starter:
- "Schrödinger 101: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics"
- "Schrödinger 102: Non-Separable States"
- "Schrödinger 103: Decoherence"
- "Schrödinger 104: Quantum Entanglement"
Solution code: All digits within Schrödinger cells, lowest digit first, top-row to bottom-row.
Comments
on 23. September 2023, 12:06 by zrbakhtiar
hi. can you clarify on cage cell r5c9. is it consider part of darker red cage? because when i open CTC link with highlights, there is a cage for r5c9. but CTC without highlights, the cage is missing.
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@zrbakhtiar - I see you resolved the issue already; thank you for your solve! Just in case anyone else sees this, the cage in R5C9 is strictly ornamental, so it is removed along with the highlighting for some of the puzzle links -- VKP
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Haha. I just realised once you place S-cell candidates for box 3, one should know that there cannot be another cell to be included for darker red cage apart from the C-shape. Thank you for clarification.
on 23. September 2023, 02:50 by tehbertl
Wew, that was a hard one. Like marcmees said, the break-in wasn't too hard, but the placement/interactions for the Schrödinger's cells in the middle three columns/boxes (and some of the sudoku related to that) was quite hard to break through.
Part of that (in my case) was definitely some leaps of logic, though! Once I got back to an earlier point and saw the ultimate solution path I may or may not have smacked my forehead, haha.
on 22. September 2023, 15:45 by ViKingPrime
Updated difficulty (based on comments below).
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A clear example of the subjective nature of ratings. This puzzle felt particularly smooth to me when setting but that's likely due to some familiarity with how the constraints play together with Schrödingers; your mileage may vary (but please don't let that steer you away! It's to my mind the best of the series).
on 22. September 2023, 12:51 by SirWoezel
I Agree with Marcmees. I even gave this 5 stars for difficulty.
on 22. September 2023, 09:41 by A very large bear
I find it rather unfortunate to see this puzzle have so few verified solves after a couple days. Overall I think the constraints lead to some very pretty logic, and found it to be a delightful solve.
Maybe the concepts just resonated well with me but this felt like a 2 or 2.5/5 difficulty for me. Overall smooth solve where I didn't have nearly as many "what am I even supposed to do?" type moments I've experienced in other 3*+ puzzles. Would very much recommend anyone stumbling across the comments section to give it a try.
on 22. September 2023, 09:12 by marcmees
the entry to the puzzle is easily found, as well as the position of the first 6 schrodinger cells. After that it's a long search to combine the possibilities of the remaining ones. The proposed 3* are misleading. Very nice but hard (imo).
