Sudoku Solver

Overview

This repository contains a Go program called sudoku_solver that resolves Sudoku puzzles. The solver is designed to find the unique solution for a valid Sudoku puzzle.

Features

• Solves 9x9 Sudoku puzzles
• Validates input for correctness
• Provides clear error messages for invalid inputs
• Outputs the solved puzzle in a readable format

Requirements

• Go 1.x or higher (replace x with the minimum version required)

Installation

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/sudoku-solver.git
   

2. Navigate to the project directory:

   cd sudoku-solver
   

Usage

Run the program using the go run command, followed by 9 string arguments representing the rows of the Sudoku puzzle. Use dots (.) to represent empty cells.

go run . [row1] [row2] [row3] [row4] [row5] [row6] [row7] [row8] [row9]

Example Usage

For a valid Sudoku:

$ go run . ".96.4...1" "1...6...4" "5.481.39." "..795..43" ".3..8...." "4.5.23.18" ".1.63..59" ".59.7.83." "..359...7" | cat -e
3 9 6 2 4 5 7 8 1$
1 7 8 3 6 9 5 2 4$
5 2 4 8 1 7 3 9 6$
2 8 7 9 5 1 6 4 3$
9 3 1 4 8 6 2 7 5$
4 6 5 7 2 3 9 1 8$
7 1 2 6 3 8 4 5 9$
6 5 9 1 7 4 8 3 2$
8 4 3 5 9 2 1 6 7$

Error Handling

The program will output "Error" for invalid inputs or unsolvable puzzles:

$ go run . 1 2 3 4 | cat -e
Error$

$ go run . | cat -e
Error$

$ go run . ".96.4...1" "1...6.1.4" "5.481.39." "..795..43" ".3..8...." "4.5.23.18" ".1.63..59" ".59.7.83." "..359...7" | cat -e
Error$

How It Works

The Sudoku solver uses a backtracking algorithm to find the solution. It attempts to fill in numbers sequentially, backtracking when it reaches an invalid state.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Here's how you can contribute:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a new branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Make your changes
4. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
5. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
6. Open a Pull Request

Please ensure your code adheres to the existing style and includes appropriate tests.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Contact

Your Name - @yourtwitter - [email protected]

Project Link: https://github.com/yourusername/sudoku-solver