Look at the 8x8 grid below at left. In the rows and columns there are repeated numbers. Erasing 19 of them, we achieve the grid at right, that has no repeated numbers in any row, in any column.

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+       +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| 5 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 |       |   | 7 | 1 |   | 5 |   | 4 | 3 |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+       +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 3 |       | 4 | 3 |   | 2 | 7 | 5 | 6 |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+       +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 8 |       |   | 5 | 3 |   | 2 |   | 7 | 8 |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+       +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| 6 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |       | 6 |   | 2 | 7 |   | 3 |   | 1 |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+       +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 6 |       | 3 | 2 | 5 |   | 9 | 1 | 8 | 6 |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+       +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 2 |       |   | 1 |   | 4 | 6 |   | 5 | 2 |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+       +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| 9 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 3 |       | 9 | 8 | 4 | 1 |   | 6 | 2 |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+       +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 4 |       | 7 |   | 6 | 5 | 8 |   | 1 | 4 |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+       +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

Do the same with this 8x8 grid, erasing the minimum number of squares.

                    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
                    | 8 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 4 |
                    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
                    | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 1 |
                    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 
                    | 5 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 7 |
                    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
                    | 8 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
                    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
                    | 3 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 2 |
                    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 
                    | 5 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
                    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
                    | 5 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
                    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
                    | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 8 |
                    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 

One possible solution -- erasing 19 number of squares:

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|   | 4 | 6 | 5 | 3 |   | 7 |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| 6 |   | 5 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 1 |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|   | 7 | 2 |   | 5 |   | 8 |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| 8 | 6 |   | 3 | 2 | 5 |   | 4 |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| 3 |   | 1 |   | 8 | 6 | 5 | 2 |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|   | 3 |   | 6 | 4 |   | 2 |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| 5 | 8 | 7 |   | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|   | 1 | 3 | 7 |   | 4 | 6 | 8 |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

Posted by Dej Mar on 2008-08-20 17:00:30