CalcuDoku (aka Square Wisdom), Killer Sudoku and Kakuro calculator!
Some of you may have already started playing “the new Sudoku” puzzles that appear in The Times (UK). We call them CalcuDoku or “Square Wisdom“.
It’s an interesting concept, quite similar to Killer Sudoku, but with all four basic arithmetic operations involved. Another change is that repeats within a cage are allowed if possible.
To help out those of you who are starting to like this game, I have prepared a tool that shows you which combinations of numbers can go into a certain cage. All you need to do is plugin the numbers, click “Calculate” and voila!, you get the list of possible options.
Obviously, this same calculator can also be used for Killer Sudoku and Kakuro puzzles.
Here is the calculator:
May 15th, 2008 at 6:54 am
I was just wondering how I can pencil in numbers on the online puzzles.
Thanks
May 24th, 2008 at 9:52 am
I have tried the ones in the Times – with the + – x or / given to you they are quite easy – hope yours are going to be harder, DJ.
October 16th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Your calculator for listing the possible combinations is a great help for checking purposes. Would it be possible to modify it to include a maximum number of repeats (2,3 etc.)?
The list for 23+ in a cage of 6 cells, for example, is very long.
Gwyn
October 16th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Sorry about my previous note about the calculator. I must be blind or at least unable to read.
October 16th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
No Gwyn, you’re neither blind nor unable to read, it’s just that I amended the calculator about a minute ago, after I saw your question and thought it was a good idea.
December 4th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Thanks for the calculator. I used it to teach myself what the cages could possibly contain when there’s a division operator and a higher number like 9! LOL I couldn’t get that one on my own!
December 6th, 2008 at 4:01 am
I need a tutorial on how to use maximum repeats. It seems like it can mean one of two things:
a) The maximum number of times a digit can repeat in the cage. If the cage only overlaps two rows or two columns, the maximum would be two occurrences, but if it twists and turns and crosses more rows or columns, the digit could repeat several times ex) 6*5*2*2*2*2*1…
or is it
b) The maximum number of different digits that can show up twice (or more) in the cage. I’ve seen this happen (4*4*3*3*1) but I have no idea how I’d calculate that it could occur.
Thanks in advance for your help! I love these puzzles now, and I love the calculator!!!
December 7th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Amy, maximum number of repeats is not the max repeats of one number, it is the total repeats of all numbers.
So in: 6*5*2*2*2*2*1 there are 3 repeats. (three 2s)
In 4*4*3*3*1 there are 2 repeats. (one 4 and one 3)
In 3*3*3*2*2*1 there are 3 repeats (two 3s and one 2).
But that’s looking at it backwards. What you should look at is the shape of a cage, figure out how many numbers could be equal and enter that as the max number of repeats.
December 8th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Hi Calculator enthusiasts,
I wonder whether you learn Kenken, or even improve your “math”, when you use a calculator? Like bicycling with training wheels, sooner or later you need to drop them if you are going to get the enjoyment from the tool.
Question. I am working on a method to list numerical candidates that, like some of the better methods for Sudoku, positions the candidates, so they visually stand out. I.e., you don’t have to “read” the numbers.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
fred
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Calculator Suggestion:
Lately I’ve been using “cut, copy & paste” in the results window.
By copying the results before doing another calculation then pasting the previous results below it and repeating for each new calculation I create a list of all relevant information, often labelling each group with a Header to help keep track as the list grows longer.
Example:
_________8+
6+1+1
5+2+1
4+3+1
4+2+2
3+3+2
_________420*
7*6*5*2
7*5*4*3
I can then go back through the list and delete any entries ruled out or groups solved.
If the calculator would generate a Header and not erase each result (instead add it to the top of a growing list) along with a radio button to erase the last result (mistaken entry) and another to clear the whole window (start over/new puzzle) I would think it a simple yet powerful tweak to an already useful tool.
Another idea would be a “no-op” button that returns all 4 (if possible) results at once.
Thanks for a great tool, I use it all the time.
Good Luck,
Tx3
February 12th, 2009 at 10:40 am
Tx3, thank you for your suggestions and sorry for responding a little late. I couldn’t agree more with you and so I’ve updated the calculator to provide the extra features you suggested.
February 13th, 2009 at 7:36 am
I love Tx3′s suggestion and the new calculator. I may try the puzzles with the limited operators now, even!
Thanks for this update, djape!
May 4th, 2009 at 7:55 am
This is a wonderful utility. I wish I could put it in my palm centro. Any chance you will publish the programing.
October 7th, 2009 at 1:12 am
Your new calculator is so long that I have to scroll up and down to use it. The old one was much more user friendly.
October 7th, 2009 at 9:39 am
I agree with Jean Barker. The old format, though a bit cramped was less cumbersome.
Perhaps the old format with improved line spacing?
Thanks,
Michael
October 22nd, 2009 at 11:48 pm
How about putting the parameters side by side in pairs instead of in a single column – this would lessen scrolling.
Great calculator, I’d be lost without it.
Cheers.
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:58 am
The “Clear List” button could use an “Are You Sure?” dialog box.
Michael
December 22nd, 2009 at 11:59 am
Sorry to tell you this Djape, but today was the first time I was really annoyed with your site.
I use your calculator to create a needed list and paste & print.
The “Calculate” and “Clear List” buttons are too close, especially since the calculator is cumbersome and requires scrolling. For several reasons, I have to use a lower resolution that is necessary to avoid scrolling
The “Clear List†button NEEDS a “Are You Sure?†dialog box, or at least move it to the bottom of the list!
Good programming protocol dictates this.
Michael
December 22nd, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Michael, I agree the calculator was all over the place, I simply couldn’t find to change it after the last software update which caused it to go funny.
Anyway, I’ve changed things a little now, and it should be better.
Let me know what you think.
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:26 am
A *
Seems like all issues were attended to.
Thanks,
Michael
February 21st, 2010 at 1:59 am
Can you revise to include 10 in allowed numbers?
Thanks,
Brenda
October 3rd, 2010 at 8:17 pm
24+, 4 cells, 2 repeats calculates a 7+7+7+3 illegal answer.
October 5th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
Jim, you are half right, half wrong. “2 repeats” means maximum 3 equal numbers, because no repeats means only 1, “1 repeat” means that a number can be repeated once, 2 repeats, means that a number can be repeated twice (plus the “original”).
Now, a cage of 4 cells cannot have one number repeated 3 times (“2 repeats”), so in that sense you are right. But this is only a calculator. It is up to you to plug in the numbers the way you want and to you use it to your advantage.
Hope this helped.
September 12th, 2011 at 2:12 am
[...] Of course, if you need assistance with cage combinations, you can use the CalcuDoku calculator. [...]
December 16th, 2011 at 6:31 am
The calculator is not working for a few days now. I rely on it daily. Thanks for this great resource.
December 16th, 2011 at 3:59 pm
Brenda, I just checked and the calculator is working for me. You should try clearing up your browser cache or trying with a different browser.
I am also sending you an e-mail. Please let me know if you fix this problem.
Thanks!
Djape
December 16th, 2011 at 5:34 pm
Fails for me as well. I come to the page, and then change nothing (So doing a 2 digit +10): pushing ‘calculate’ does not give any results. Then I try changing some different options (to 600*, 4 digits, 1 repeat) no results.
I’m using Firefox browser 8, Windows XP. I’ve tried on two different computers. On this one, after seeing your post on clearing the cache, I did that, and restarted Firefox. No difference. I did not reboot.
I’m not sure using the calculator is worth firing up IE (shudder).
Wait – I’ve got chrome! . . . Nope – fails there too.
Let me know if you want me to do anything in particular to narrow anything down.
December 16th, 2011 at 5:40 pm
And now we can add Firefox 8 running on Windows 7
December 17th, 2011 at 4:38 am
That’s so strange. I checked on different physical computers, using different browsers and it’s working fine.
I will continue investigating this. In the meantime, if you find that it’s working, please let me know.
December 17th, 2011 at 8:45 am
It’s working for me now and I didn’t do anything. Maybe some kind of glitch, but I did try other browsers before reporting the matter to you. Thanks a million.
December 17th, 2011 at 2:02 pm
It didn’t work for me for a few days either, but now it does.
BTW, I love this resource. Thanks for creating it.
December 17th, 2011 at 7:45 pm
Working good again. Thanks!
January 20th, 2012 at 5:00 am
I love your calculator!!! Great tool but could you add 10′s… that would make it amazing!