Is This Minesweeper Grid Solvable Without Guessing?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the solvability of a specific Minesweeper grid without resorting to guessing. Participants explore logical reasoning and strategies for deducing the placement of mines based on the numbers provided in the grid.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants share their interpretations of the grid layout and the reasoning behind their conclusions about mine placement.
  • One participant mentions using counterexamples to prove their solution, suggesting a method of logical deduction.
  • Another participant highlights specific patterns in the grid that can lead to identifying mines, indicating a reliance on established strategies.
  • There are mentions of misclicks and mistakes during gameplay, which some participants relate to the difficulty of the puzzle.
  • A participant describes a logical approach to deducing mine locations based on the numbers adjacent to uncovered squares, suggesting a systematic method for solving the puzzle.
  • Some participants express that while the solution may seem obvious after the fact, it requires familiarity with the game and its patterns to arrive at the solution without guessing.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the clarity and difficulty of the puzzle, with some finding it straightforward while others believe it requires specific knowledge or experience. There is no consensus on whether the solution is obvious or not, and the discussion remains open-ended regarding the best methods for solving such puzzles.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference specific configurations and reasoning processes, but there are limitations in the clarity of the grid representations due to formatting issues. The discussion also reflects individual experiences with gameplay, which may influence their perspectives on the puzzle's solvability.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in puzzle-solving strategies, particularly in games like Minesweeper, may find the discussion valuable for understanding different approaches to logical deduction in similar contexts.

Greg825
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Saw this at a website..
[] [][][][] []
[] 2 2 2 2 []
[] 2 0 0 2 []
[] 2 0 0 2 []
[] 2 2 2 2 []
[] [][][][] []

See if you can figure it out without guessing and checking (derive the solution logically). Might be easier for minesweeper addicts.

edit, darn the spacing is messed up.
edit 2, good enough.
 
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0 1 * * 1 0
1 2 2 2 2 1
* 2 0 0 2 *
* 2 0 0 2 *
1 2 2 2 2 1
0 1 * * 1 0
 
yep, but what was your reasoning? (might be a pain to explain without pictures)
 
http://www.public.asu.edu/~hyousif/disappointment.JPG

:cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Ouch whozum!

Good puzzle, never saw that before. Answer was not too hard, I used 2 counterexamples to prove that it is the only way. Is there another way to prove it?
 
heh i can't believe you didn't see the 2 bombs on the (2bombs)3222(1bomb)
same solution for (1bomb)2222(1bomb) but i got to commend you (hope that's the write word) for you speed 60 sec with that little left...i isually done 3/4 at 60
 
for whozums you can immidiately see that the third mine from the right on the top row is a mine if you look at the 3 (with two marked near it) and the 2. If you considered this and there's something I didn't see let me know.

edit edit: forgot who i was responding to.
 
Last edited:
It is always easy to see what you should have done after you lost :smile:
 
yes but there are certain patterns that others use that you may need to build into your set of patterns.
 
  • #10
The reason its an 'ouch' is because I misclicked the corner mine (the Xd one) while meaning to go up to the mine right above the two. It wasn't that I didntk now what to do, its just I made a slip, which happens a lot :(

That wouldve been my new record, probably about 65-70 :cry:
 
  • #11
the answer I was looking for was something along the lines of:

Take a corner section of the puzzle, bottom right for example.

0 2 []
2 2 []
[][][]

refer to either "2" that's not in the corner. it's immidiately recognizable that at least 1 of the (shown) adjacent squares to either "2" has a mine (because each "2" is touching uncovered three squares total). Then consider the corner "2", only 2 of the 5 uncovered squares shown can contain mines which means that for each non-corner "2" only one of the shown adjacent squares contains a mine. It is then known that

...X
...0 2 []
...2 2 []
X [] [] []

there must be mines where the X's are, and it should be clear that this result will be produced from any corner of the puzzle (thus solving the whole thing).

Was it too obvious, not obvious enough, or just not worth writing out?
 
Last edited:
  • #12
I've seen it before, its obvious after process of elimination, but there's no 'trick' to it, you have to either know where to look or find out where to look.

I'm a minesweeper regular too.
 

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