31 December 2014

I Want to Believe

Title: I Want to Believe
Rating: 3/5

Sometimes an idea takes hold for whether a certain design is possible.  I wanted to pay homage in my own small way to The X-Files, a show I adore.

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must multiply to the indicated product.   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the product for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that doesn't violate the first rule. 

25 December 2014

Windmill

Title: Windmill
Rating: 3/5


As happened in a previous puzzle, this sum puzzle contains regions that overlap each other (instead of just abutting each other).  May your pursuits to solve this one not be quixotic.

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must add to the indicated sum.   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the sum for adjacent regions of each of those colors.
  • Cells at the following positions belong to the regions that go horizontally and vertically through that cell: (2,2), (2,8), (8,2), (8,8).  The (light purple) color of these cells is the RGB-average of the colors from the horizontal and vertical regions that intersect there. 
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that doesn't violate the first rule.

17 December 2014

Sea Breeze

Title: Sea Breeze
Rating: 3/5 

It's starting to feel like winter, but perhaps this drink (a combination of vodka, cranberry juice, and grapefruit juice on the rocks) will bring back memories of warmer days.

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must add to the indicated sum (denoted by +) or multiply to the indicated product (denoted by *).   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the sum/product for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that repetition doesn't violate the first rule.

10 December 2014

Rotation

Title: Rotation
Rating: 2/5

While all of these puzzles have rotational symmetry, this week's product puzzles strives to highlight that symmetry as clearly as possible.

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must multiply to the indicated product.   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the product for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that doesn't violate the first rule. 

03 December 2014

Drip

Title: Drip
Rating: 3/5


A medium difficulty puzzle for a medium kind of December day.

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must add to the indicated sum.   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the sum for adjacent regions of each of those colors.
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that doesn't violate the first rule.

25 November 2014

Amends


Title: Amends
Rating: 1/5


If the first of these was challenging, this second of the four "pentoku" puzzles I created should engender some good will.  It's one of the easiest puzzles I've created.


The official rules:
  • The digits 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 appear in the above puzzle.
  • Each shaded region contains exactly one of each of the digits 1 through 5.
  • No row or column can contain more than two appearances of any of the digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in both of the associated adjacent regions.

19 November 2014

Tom Collins

Title: Tom Collins
Rating: 3/5 

A classic drink headlines this week's mix puzzle.  Typical ingredients are gin, lemon juice, and sugar syrup, with a maraschino cherry as garnish.

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must add to the indicated sum (denoted by +) or multiply to the indicated product (denoted by *).   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the sum/product for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that repetition doesn't violate the first rule.

12 November 2014

Central Office

Title: Central Office
Rating: 2/5

This week's product puzzle was modeled to more clearly exhibit the symmetry of construction.  Each of these puzzles has not just 180 degree symmetry, but a 90 degree symmetry, with colors consistently shifting as the puzzle rotates.

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must multiply to the indicated product.   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the product for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that doesn't violate the first rule. 

05 November 2014

UFO

Title: UFO
Rating: 3/5



Don't be tempted to look at the sky.  Keep your eyes on the puzzle.

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must add to the indicated sum.   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the sum for adjacent regions of each of those colors.
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that doesn't violate the first rule.

29 October 2014

Zurracapote

Title: Zurracapote
Rating: 3/5 


This is a drink I hadn't heard of before I started creating mix puzzles.  This Spanish drink is made with red wine, fruits (in the case of the puzzle colors, peaches and lemon), cinnamon, and sugar.

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must add to the indicated sum (denoted by +) or multiply to the indicated product (denoted by *).   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the sum/product for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that repetition doesn't violate the first rule.

22 October 2014

Storm

Title: Storm
Rating: 3/5

The weather's been rainy where I live for much of the last week, so this product puzzle will fit nicely.  The most challenging part of it involves the regions moving between more than two rows or columns.

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must multiply to the indicated product.   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the product for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that doesn't violate the first rule. 

15 October 2014

Appreciation

Title: Appreciation
Rating: 2/5



In the continued vein of how things get named, I'm hoping you'll be able to cheer about the name for this one.  There are a few areas to be careful of, though.  Make sure to check out the rules below.

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must add to the indicated sum.   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the sum for adjacent regions of each of those colors.
  • Cells at the following positions belong to the regions that go horizontally and vertically through that cell: (2,2), (2,8), (8,2), (8,8), (4,4), (4,6), (6,4), (6,6).  The (light purple) color of these cells is the RGB-average of the colors from the horizontal and vertical regions that intersect there. 
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that doesn't violate the first rule.

08 October 2014

Bronx

Title: Bronx
Rating: 3/5 


Typically made with gin, sweet red vermouth, dry vermouth, and orange juice, the Bronx has unclear origins dating before Prohibition. 

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must add to the indicated sum (denoted by +) or multiply to the indicated product (denoted by *).   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the sum/product for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that repetition doesn't violate the first rule.

01 October 2014

Prorus

Title: Prorus
Rating: 3/5

Not your typical product puzzle this week.  The board is what I call a "toral board," so named because the board is meant to be viewed not as a big square, but as what's called a fundamental region.  In this case, imagine folding the sides of the square together to get a cylinder.  Then fold the ends of the cylinder together, and you get what's called a torus (a donut, if you will).  Those associations (between left and right, between top and bottom, and, hence, between all corners) are reflected in the rules below.

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must multiply to the indicated product.   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the product for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that doesn't violate the first rule. 
  • The board is a “toral board,” that is, cells at the end of one row are considered adjacent to those at the beginning of the same row; cells at the end of one column are considered adjacent to those at the beginning of the same column, and all corner cells are considered adjacent.

24 September 2014

A Four Color Problem

Title: A Four Color Problem (original)
Rating: 4/5





On the last sum puzzle, I had no inspiration for the title.  This week's puzzle is the first sum puzzle I created.  The second was published in MAA Focus; so consider this a two-for-one week.

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must add to the indicated sum.   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the sum for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that doesn't violate the first rule.

17 September 2014

Papa Doble

Title: Papa Doble
Rating: 2/5 

Mix rating 2
Also known as the Hemingway Daiquiri, this is made with white rum, the juice of limes and grapefruit, and some maraschino liqueur. 

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must add to the indicated sum (denoted by +) or multiply to the indicated product (denoted by *).   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the sum/product for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that repetition doesn't violate the first rule.

10 September 2014

Churn

Title: Churn
Rating: 2/5

product rating 2
Only a little bit of agitation in this product puzzle, unlike the last one.

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must multiply to the indicated product.   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the product for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that doesn't violate the first rule.

03 September 2014

Pending

Title: Pending
Rating: 3/5

sum rating 3




Sometimes the puzzle just doesn't come out looking like anything to me.  As one of the few times that's happened, this sum puzzle got an generic title.

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must add to the indicated sum.   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the sum for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that doesn't violate the first rule.

27 August 2014

Paradise

Title: Paradise
Rating: 2/5
Mix rating 2

The regular semester has started again.  In celebration of that, enjoy this apéritif, made from gin, apricot brandy, and orange juice.  It's then traditionally shaken over ice.  

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must add to the indicated sum (denoted by +) or multiply to the indicated product (denoted by *).   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the sum/product for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that repetition doesn't violate the first rule.

20 August 2014

Stitch in Time

Title: Stitch in Time
Rating: 4/5

Product rating 4

One of the harder product puzzles I've created, in part because of the larger products in the puzzle.  Good luck.

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must multiply to the indicated product.   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the product for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that doesn't violate the first rule.

13 August 2014

Traffic

Title: Traffic
Rating: 1/5


Sum rating 1


This is an extremely congested puzzle, but it's not as difficult to navigate as it might seem.

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must add to the indicated sum.   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the sum for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that doesn't violate the first rule.

06 August 2014

Bloody Mary

Title: Bloody Mary
Rating: 2/5
Mix rating 2

Enjoy this week's classic cocktail, a mix of tomato juice, vodka, and lemon juice, garnished by a celery stalk.

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must add to the indicated sum (denoted by +) or multiply to the indicated product (denoted by *).   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the sum/product for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that repetition doesn't violate the first rule.

30 July 2014

Everything is Awesome

Title: Everything is Awesome
Rating: 3/5

Product rating 3

This week offers another product puzzle whose title is inspired by blocks.

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must multiply to the indicated product.   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the product for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that doesn't violate the first rule.

23 July 2014

Candy Center

Title: Candy Center
Rating: 4/5


 
Sum puzzle rating 4


One of the earliest puzzles of any type that I created, this happens also be one of the hardest.  Enjoy the treat.

The official rules:

  • The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
  • Digits in each shaded region must add to the indicated sum.   
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the sum for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
  • Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that doesn't violate the first rule.

16 July 2014

Five By



Title: Five By
Rating: 3/5

alt, rating 3


For a change of pace, here's an alternate puzzle.  Brainfreeze Puzzles recently released a book with 10 X 10 puzzles with pentomino blocks.  Having seen test runs of such puzzles a couple of years prior to that, I decided to see what that style of puzzle would look like with overlapping regions in a standard 9 X 9 board.  I created four such puzzles; this is the first.



The official rules:
  • The digits 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 appear in the above puzzle.
  • Each shaded region contains exactly one of each of the digits 1 through 5.
  • No row or column can contain more than two appearances of any of the digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
  • Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in both of the associated adjacent regions.