Sudoku - Specialist

M. Solaiammal, third year computer science and engineering student of Park College of Engineering and Tekhnology, with her solved Sudoku grid.Sudoku, that has become a regular fixture in many journals and dailies, continues to be a puzzle for some, while for others it is a pure number game that invigorates the mind.Some spend a few minutes to solve it, while for others it costs a few hours.

M. Solaiammal, a third year student of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering of the Park College of Engineering and Tekhnology, has developed a programme in C language to solve the puzzle in a second, at the press of a key. She has developed this out of her own interest. The “urge to crack difficult concepts through programming” was what made her come up with this programme.This is how one solves Sudoku using her programme. When the grid appears on the computer screen, every square of the grid is numbered as 1, 2, 3, etc., making the total number of squares 81. At the press of the first key the square that has a number has to be entered, i.e., if the second square has the number 9, then the person has to enter 2 = 9. Similarly, if the 81st square has the number 3, then the person has to enter 81 = 3.

Ms. Solaiammal says that care should be taken to see that all the numbers appearing on the squares are entered correctly. Those squares that do not have numbers need not be entered.Once all the numbers are typed out, it means ‘stop filling data and give solution box’. Then, at the press of a second key, the grid with the solution appears on screen after just a second.The last step involves verification. The programme asks whether all the numbers have been correctly entered. Once it is ensured that the numbers are right, then it justifies that the solution grid is accurate. The whole process takes less than two minutes. The programme can be used to solve hard, medium and easy puzzles.

If you thought that Solaiammal was a computer whiz who spends hours at her terminal, you will be surprised to know that that she does not even have a PC at home.Hailing from a poor family, originally from Theni, where her father worked as a tailor, they moved over to Tirupur once she got admission to the engineering course. Her father gave up his job as a tailor and moved base to fulfil the wishes of his hardworking and talented daughter. Now, both her father and mother are working in the hosiery industry to support the education of their daughter.

Even while in school, Solaiammal had a yearning towards computers, especially software. She has been creating small programmes whenever she has the time. Her aim is to achieve something in the software field and gain international recognition.Her Head of the Department M.N. Viswanathan is all praise for her. “The programme was developed on her own volition. It requires a considerable amount of knowledge. I feel it is a remarkable achievement for a third year student. I am even more happy that coming from such a background she has not thought only of clearing examinations, like most of the students do, but has done something innovative.”When this reporter referred her case to Vice-Chancellor R. Radhakrishnan, he said that such innovative initiatives were welcome. “It is a very good work. The university will encourage her future endeavours and will also sponsor her a PC.”

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