Pop Quiz!
(Published on 27. July 2025, 16:07 by cygne)
Pop Quiz! by Cygne
Rules
Time for a variant sudoku pop quiz! Fill in the answers to the following questions in their corresponding spaces in the grid. If you need a cheat sheet, see me after class.
- Normal sudoku rules apply. How many unique digits are in this puzzle?
- The positive diagonal is a slow thermometer. What is the value on its tip?
- How many diagonal palindrome lines of length 4 or greater can be drawn into this puzzle?
- The three cells to the right of this one form a killer cage. What digit should be placed in its top left corner?
- How many 2x2 areas in the puzzle contain every even digit once each?
- This row contains an 8-cell German whispers line. Which digit cannot appear on it?
- What is the median and mode (but not mean) of the digits on the negative diagonal?
- Considering the questions thus far, what is the length of the longest possible modular line that can be drawn into this column?
- How many horizontal parity lines of length five or greater can be drawn into this puzzle?
Play in SudokuPad
Solution code: Row 8 (left to right)
Comments
on 14. November 2025, 19:46 by cygne
Thanks for sticking with it, and thanks very much for the feedback @zembrost
I think I'd like to come back to this concept and make a revamped version now that I have a bit more setting experience.
on 14. November 2025, 06:26 by zembrost
a little late to the party here, been chipping away at this puzzle for weeks now. quite a bit of trial and error and bifurcation for me, not sure if this was the intended solution path. very unique puzzle and well-thought out theme but too tedious and complex. took me 3:50:13
on 8. August 2025, 12:41 by cygne
@VitP, thanks for playing and thanks for the feedback!
You're right about question 3, I'm considering changing it to something that is useable. When I set it I was thinking of it as a bit of a red herring, but I can see it's not enjoyable that way.
I'm relatively new to setting, would folks generally be ok with me changing that one clue and making the puzzle a bit easier?
Regarding 5, 7 and 9, all three of those clues are useful for solving
on 3. August 2025, 10:57 by VitP
seriously ...
there are some "problems" here.
a) rule 8 conveys no information. by the time you get to use it, it says NULL. as for the "thus far" clause, there is only one REASONABLE application (for which, see above), but there could be multiple others, which makes the clause meaningless.
b) the digits for clues 3,5,7,9 are obtained by basic sudoku, and the other clues. but there is NO PRACTICAL WAY to use them. do you seriously expect people to case HUNDREDS of possibilities, and bifurcate from there?
on 3. August 2025, 09:01 by VitP
here are the answers. you're welcome.
1) 45. don't be distracted by surface appearance.
2) zero, the SLOWest digit.
3) many. don't bother counting - you'll be here all week.
4) nothing. do you need to be spoonfed ?
5) that is a question you can give to an intern.
6) zero. duh.
7) flat earthers, those accursed disinformation spammers, have not and cannot demonstrate a working map. ask them "why are all MERIDIANS curved", and all you get is crickets, not like the valuable and TRUE answers i am providing here. one of them thought i was referring to MEDIANs. not even joking.
8) that one is SECRET
9) i have been working so hard to provide these valuable and true answers ... i'm all tuckered out. giving this one a pass.
on 3. August 2025, 07:39 by asp1310
Do you mean the minimum digit it could be for question 2?
on 3. August 2025, 07:39 by asp1310
Do you mean the minimum digit it could be for question 2?
on 30. July 2025, 21:11 by dzamie
Whew! Took me around an hour. It's really cool that these all work so well as the only rules needed for the puzzle!
Though question 9 seemed... superfluous? By the time I knew for certain where the parity stuff was... I had already eliminated where the parity stuff *wasn't* from my pencilmarks without its help.
on 28. July 2025, 13:25 by henter
Enjoyed the concept. 3 and 9 were a bit tough but probably just didn't do my homework properly.
on 28. July 2025, 05:12 by cygne
Thanks for the feedback! I have adjusted the solution code
on 28. July 2025, 04:01 by bolo
Very nice puzzle! But I think you should make the solution code clearer, or change it entirely
on 28. July 2025, 01:10 by cygne
@War -- thanks for the question, and sorry for the confusion.
The solution code has been changed to something much simpler
