Download or read book Pattern Based Constraint Satisfaction and Logic Puzzles Second Edition written by Denis Berthier and published by . This book was released on 2015-07-11 with total page 568 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ""Pattern-Based Constraint Satisfaction and Logic Puzzles (Second Edition)"" develops a pure logic, pattern-based perspective of solving the finite Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP), with emphasis on finding the ""simplest"" solution. Different ways of reasoning with the constraints are formalised by various families of ""resolution rules,"" each of them carrying its own notion of simplicity. A large part of the book illustrates the power of the approach by applying it to various popular logic puzzles. It provides a unified view of how to model and solve them, even though they involve very different types of constraints: obvious symmetric ones in Sudoku, non-symmetric but transitive ones in Futoshiki, topological and geometric ones in Map colouring, Numbrix and Hidato, non-binary arithmetic ones in Kakuro and both non-binary and non-local ones in Slitherlink. It also shows that the most familiar techniques for these puzzles can be understood as mere application-specific presentations of the general rules.

Download or read book Seven Games A Human History written by Oliver Roeder and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2022-01-25 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A group biography of seven enduring and beloved games, and the story of why—and how—we play them. Checkers, backgammon, chess, and Go. Poker, Scrabble, and bridge. These seven games, ancient and modern, fascinate millions of people worldwide. In Seven Games, Oliver Roeder charts their origins and historical importance, the delightful arcana of their rules, and the ways their design makes them pleasurable. Roeder introduces thrilling competitors, such as evangelical minister Marion Tinsley, who across forty years lost only three games of checkers; Shusai, the Master, the last Go champion of imperial Japan, defending tradition against “modern rationalism”; and an IBM engineer who created a backgammon program so capable at self-learning that NASA used it on the space shuttle. He delves into the history and lore of each game: backgammon boards in ancient Egypt, the Indian origins of chess, how certain shells from a particular beach in Japan make the finest white Go stones. Beyond the cultural and personal stories, Roeder explores why games, seemingly trivial pastimes, speak so deeply to the human soul. He introduces an early philosopher of games, the aptly named Bernard Suits, and visits an Oxford cosmologist who has perfected a computer that can effectively play bridge, a game as complicated as human language itself. Throughout, Roeder tells the compelling story of how humans, pursuing scientific glory and competitive advantage, have invented AI programs better than any human player, and what that means for the games—and for us. Funny, fascinating, and profound, Seven Games is a story of obsession, psychology, history, and how play makes us human.

Download or read book The Hidden Logic of Sudoku written by Denis Berthier and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2007 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The "Hidden Logic of Sudoku" provides the first systematic perspective of the logical symmetries of the popular game. These are fully exploited to define new graphical representations, new kinds of resolution rules and a precedence ordering of the rules consistent with their logical complexity. The set of rules defined in the book is illustrated with a hundred of puzzles together with their full resolution paths. It suffices to solve almost any puzzle without making guesses or assuming the uniqueness of a solution. It has been fed into an Artificial Intelligence (AI) engine and a large database of puzzles has been processed, leading to a precise evaluation of the efficiency of each rule. The book is intended for both advanced Sudoku players (who will discover many new facets of the game and a new, systematic approach to the resolution rules) and for teachers or students of Logic or AI (who will appreciate the strict logical foundations).

Download or read book Beyond Black Belt Sudoku written by Frank Longo and published by Puzzlewright. This book was released on 2011-09 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "If you have to ask, IT'S TOO HARD FOR YOU"--Cover.

Download or read book Taking Sudoku Seriously written by Jason Rosenhouse and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2012-01-19 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Packed with more than a hundred color illustrations and a wide variety of puzzles and brainteasers, Taking Sudoku Seriously uses this popular craze as the starting point for a fun-filled introduction to higher mathematics. How many Sudoku solution squares are there? What shapes other than three-by-three blocks can serve as acceptable Sudoku regions? What is the fewest number of starting clues a sound Sudoku puzzle can have? Does solving Sudoku require mathematics? Jason Rosenhouse and Laura Taalman show that answering these questions opens the door to a wealth of interesting mathematics. Indeed, they show that Sudoku puzzles and their variants are a gateway into mathematical thinking generally. Among many topics, the authors look at the notion of a Latin square--an object of long-standing interest to mathematicians--of which Sudoku squares are a special case; discuss how one finds interesting Sudoku puzzles; explore the connections between Sudoku, graph theory, and polynomials; and consider Sudoku extremes, including puzzles with the maximal number of vacant regions, with the minimal number of starting clues, and numerous others. The book concludes with a gallery of novel Sudoku variations--just pure solving fun! Most of the puzzles are original to this volume, and all solutions to the puzzles appear in the back of the book or in the text itself. A math book and a puzzle book, Taking Sudoku Seriously will change the way readers look at Sudoku and mathematics, serving both as an introduction to mathematics for puzzle fans and as an exploration of the intricacies of Sudoku for mathematics buffs.

Download or read book Ai Escargot written by Arto Inkala and published by . This book was released on 2007-06-01 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book contains AI Escargot, the world famous sudoku puzzle which became the most difficult sudoku puzzle known in 2006. There are also several hints for solving AI Escargot in the shortest and most logical way. In addition, the book has 166 other sudoku puzzles in 11 categories. This makes it very convenient to find out your own level and to learn more! The author, Arto Inkala, is a puzzle creator and a doctor of science in the field of applied mathematics.

Download or read book Expert Sudoku written by Nikoli Publishing and published by Workman Publishing Company. This book was released on 2009-11-19 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Expert Sudoku is an all-new collection of handcrafted puzzles for the expert puzzle-solver. This is the book that challenges skilled solvers and Sudoku-lovers at the top level—every one of the 320 puzzles is rated "difficult." Good luck!

Download or read book Ask a Manager written by Alison Green and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2018-05-01 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the creator of the popular website Ask a Manager and New York’s work-advice columnist comes a witty, practical guide to 200 difficult professional conversations—featuring all-new advice! There’s a reason Alison Green has been called “the Dear Abby of the work world.” Ten years as a workplace-advice columnist have taught her that people avoid awkward conversations in the office because they simply don’t know what to say. Thankfully, Green does—and in this incredibly helpful book, she tackles the tough discussions you may need to have during your career. You’ll learn what to say when • coworkers push their work on you—then take credit for it • you accidentally trash-talk someone in an email then hit “reply all” • you’re being micromanaged—or not being managed at all • you catch a colleague in a lie • your boss seems unhappy with your work • your cubemate’s loud speakerphone is making you homicidal • you got drunk at the holiday party Praise for Ask a Manager “A must-read for anyone who works . . . [Alison Green’s] advice boils down to the idea that you should be professional (even when others are not) and that communicating in a straightforward manner with candor and kindness will get you far, no matter where you work.”—Booklist (starred review) “The author’s friendly, warm, no-nonsense writing is a pleasure to read, and her advice can be widely applied to relationships in all areas of readers’ lives. Ideal for anyone new to the job market or new to management, or anyone hoping to improve their work experience.”—Library Journal (starred review) “I am a huge fan of Alison Green’s Ask a Manager column. This book is even better. It teaches us how to deal with many of the most vexing big and little problems in our workplaces—and to do so with grace, confidence, and a sense of humor.”—Robert Sutton, Stanford professor and author of The No Asshole Rule and The Asshole Survival Guide “Ask a Manager is the ultimate playbook for navigating the traditional workforce in a diplomatic but firm way.”—Erin Lowry, author of Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together

Download or read book The Mom Test written by Rob Fitzpatrick and published by Robfitz Ltd. This book was released on 2013-10-09 with total page 133 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Mom Test is a quick, practical guide that will save you time, money, and heartbreak. They say you shouldn't ask your mom whether your business is a good idea, because she loves you and will lie to you. This is technically true, but it misses the point. You shouldn't ask anyone if your business is a good idea. It's a bad question and everyone will lie to you at least a little . As a matter of fact, it's not their responsibility to tell you the truth. It's your responsibility to find it and it's worth doing right . Talking to customers is one of the foundational skills of both Customer Development and Lean Startup. We all know we're supposed to do it, but nobody seems willing to admit that it's easy to screw up and hard to do right. This book is going to show you how customer conversations go wrong and how you can do better.

Download or read book Krazydad Two Not Touch Volume 1 360 Star Battle Puzzles to Preserve Your Sanity in These Trying Times written by Jim Bumgardner and published by Krazydad Two Not Touch. This book was released on 2020-07-27 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From krazydad, constructor of the wildly popular and addictive puzzles published in The New York Times as Two Not Touch, here are 360 of your favorite Star Battle puzzles. These puzzles will provide a healthy diversion for you in these challenging times, and help you make it to the other side with your sanity intact! Includes an instructive and pithy tutorial.

Download or read book Why Don t Students Like School written by Daniel T. Willingham and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-06-10 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Easy-to-apply, scientifically-based approaches for engaging students in the classroom Cognitive scientist Dan Willingham focuses his acclaimed research on the biological and cognitive basis of learning. His book will help teachers improve their practice by explaining how they and their students think and learn. It reveals-the importance of story, emotion, memory, context, and routine in building knowledge and creating lasting learning experiences. Nine, easy-to-understand principles with clear applications for the classroom Includes surprising findings, such as that intelligence is malleable, and that you cannot develop "thinking skills" without facts How an understanding of the brain's workings can help teachers hone their teaching skills "Mr. Willingham's answers apply just as well outside the classroom. Corporate trainers, marketers and, not least, parents -anyone who cares about how we learn-should find his book valuable reading." —Wall Street Journal

Download or read book X treme Sudoku written by Nikoli Publishing and published by Workman Publishing. This book was released on 2006-01-01 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Nikoli, the Japanese puzzle company that created the sudoku craze, comesa title that starts at hard and goes to a level of difficulty not seen in anyprevious books.

Download or read book Sex and the Enneagram written by Ann Gadd and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2019-08-27 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Understanding your approach to dating, relationships, and sex through the lens of your Enneagram personality type • Explains the relationship and sexual differences in the 9 Enneagram personality types for both genders • Examines how we can create greater intimacy with our partners and what blocks our sexual enjoyment • Looks at each type’s fantasies and investigates how our behavior in relationships alters according to how emotionally integrated or disintegrated we are • Explores the three types of love and their countertypes; each type’s Enneagram Passions and Virtues in relation to intimacy; how to engage with each type; and whether some types make better lovers Sex can take us from the sacred sublime to the darkest aspects of humanity. It can carry us on the wings of pure pleasure, or crush and potentially destroy us. No act in the human experience, barring the essential survival needs of food and water, can have more of an effect on us. In Sex and the Enneagram, Ann Gadd explores relationships and sex through the lens of the Enneagram, its nine personality types, and the subtypes of the wings and Instinctual Triads. The author introduces the Enneagram system and provides a full chapter devoted to each type. She examines each type’s approach to sex, their fantasies, and levels of integration in relation to love and sex, as well as each type’s approach to issues such as pornography, sexual problems, and dating sites and whether some types make better lovers. The author explains the Enneagram Passions and Virtues of each type in relation to sex, divorce, wing influences, and gender and explains how the 27 Sub or Instinctual types and the Hornevian Triads of the Enneagram system affect our sexuality. Most importantly, Gadd looks at how we can heal ourselves sexually so we can create more fulfilling, transforming intimacy for ourselves and our partners. Through understanding ourselves and our partners sexually, with the help of the Enneagram, Gadd hopes to bring us to deeper levels of compassion and understanding for each other. Sex then can be an expression enhancing our love for each other, rather than simply a physical act. By understanding your own and your lover’s Enneagram type, intimate giving and receiving can be an empowering process to embody our love for ourselves and others.

Download or read book Level Up written by Scott Rogers and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2010-09-29 with total page 515 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Design and build cutting-edge video games with help from video game expert Scott Rogers! If you want to design and build cutting-edge video games but aren’t sure where to start, then this is the book for you. Written by leading video game expert Scott Rogers, who has designed the hits Pac Man World, Maxim vs. Army of Zin, and SpongeBob Squarepants, this book is full of Rogers's wit and imaginative style that demonstrates everything you need to know about designing great video games. Features an approachable writing style that considers game designers from all levels of expertise and experience Covers the entire video game creation process, including developing marketable ideas, understanding what gamers want, working with player actions, and more Offers techniques for creating non-human characters and using the camera as a character Shares helpful insight on the business of design and how to create design documents So, put your game face on and start creating memorable, creative, and unique video games with this book!

Download or read book Mensa Kakuro written by Conceptis Puzzles and published by Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.. This book was released on 2006-08 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What could be more appealing to Mensa members--or anyone who enjoys a good challenge--than a cunning test of intelligence and logic? That's exactly what these 250 puzzles provide. The trick to kakuro is in making it all add up: the game begins with a grid that looks like a crossword, except that some squares contain small numbers in the corner. Fill in all the empty boxes using the numbers 1 to 9 without repeats so that the sum of each horizontal set of digits equals the number in the black triangle to its left, and the sum of each vertical set of digits equals the number in the triangle above it. The kakuro puzzles start out simple...and get more difficult as the book progresses.

Download or read book The Improv Handbook written by Tom Salinsky and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2017-10-19 with total page 521 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Improv Handbook is the most comprehensive, smart, helpful and inspiring guide to improv available today. Applicable to comedians, actors, public speakers and anyone who needs to think on their toes, it features a range of games, interviews, descriptions and exercises that illuminate and illustrate the exciting world of improvised performance. First published in 2008, this second edition features a new foreword by comedian Mike McShane, as well as new exercises on endings, managing blind offers and master-servant games, plus new and expanded interviews with Keith Johnstone, Neil Mullarkey, Jeffrey Sweet and Paul Rogan. The Improv Handbook is a one-stop guide to the exciting world of improvisation. Whether you're a beginner, an expert, or would just love to try it if you weren't too scared, The Improv Handbook will guide you every step of the way.

Download or read book Will Shortz Presents Surrender to Sudoku written by Will Shortz and published by St. Martin's Griffin. This book was released on 2013-04-30 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are you a slave to sudoku? It's time to surrender to your puzzle cravings. This collection of two hundred challenging puzzles will have you coming back for more! Features: - 200 hard sudoku puzzles - Big grids for easy solving - Introduction by legendary puzzlemaster Will Shortz