Entry: My first Soduku puzzle

So a friend of mine was explaining to me how to solve these Soduku puzzles this past weekend. The picture here illustrates the gist of the layout. Basically, each vertical column has to have a single instance of numbers [0-9] and so do the horizontal columns. In addition, each of the 9 larger squares (denoted by the darker black lines) must also have the same. So, after hearing much testimony about how people have enjoyed these puzzles endlessly for years, I decided to check one out. I thought to myself...."This might be a good waste of time on an airplane or something to do on a rainy day".

Anyway, after having the rules explained to me, I stared at my first puzzle. This is about the time that I realized what a complete and utterly hopeless geek I am. I didn't see it as a puzzle....I saw it as a problem. I immediately thought to myself that this is nothing more than a constraints-based backtracking search problem. I immediately had flashbacks to my AI class in college. I then proceeded to test out my algorithm manually on this single puzzle and it happened to work perfectly. So, now that I've figured out how to solve this kind of problem, I now know that I can solve every valid puzzle of its kind.

So, now having felt that I've figured out how to solve every Soduku puzzle possibly conceivable, I no longer have the desire to ever look at another one again. This is a simple testimony to how utterly whack I am. :) Word of wisdom to all parents out there....if you ever want your child to maintain his/her imagination to its fullest extent, don't EVER teach them to program computers!! :)