来源：
http://www.distributedcomputing.info/news.html
原载：
http://www.isgtw.org/?pid=1000570
标题：How low can a Sudoku go? 数独方阵能有多小？
作者：佚名
日期：2008 年 3 月 12 日
概要：简要介绍了 Sudoku 项目探索数独问题的内容和方法
正文翻译：
There are two ways to solve a Sudoku: by hand, or by writing a computer program to do it for you.
解数独的方法有两种：可以人工直接解决，也可以写一个计算机程序然后让它求解。
For “ordinary” Sudoku—where you begin with 25 to 30 “clue” numbers—this is a relatively simple proposition. But what happens when you start with half as many clues?
解“普通”的含有 25 到 30 个提示数字的数独可能比较简单，但如果我们只有一半那么多的提示数字呢？
Can you still solve a Sudoku which begins with only ten clues? What about five clues? How low can a Sudoku go while still ensuring it has only one unique solution?
能不能解决只有十个提示数字的数独？五个呢？如果一个数独有唯一解，那么它最少可以有多少个提示数字？
Running the numbers
数字的计算
So far, all known minimal Sudokus with a unique solution begin with 17 “clue” numbers. Further, any puzzles with fewer than eight clues have resulted in at least two different solutions. Thus, minimal Sudokus are thought to require 8-17 numbers.
直到目前为止，已知含有最少提示数字而且有唯一解的数独起始布局含有 17 个提示数字。另外，任何只有少于 8 个提示数字的数独起始布局都至少有两个不同的解。所以，最小的有唯一解的数独起始布局的提示数字个数应该在 8 到 17 之间。
A new BOINC-powered distributed computing project—Sudoku—is determined to close this gap, aiming to discover the smallest possible start configuration required to solve a Sudoku that has only one, unique solution.
Sudoku 这个在 BOINC 平台上的新分布式计算项目就是致力于缩小这个不确定的范围，最终找出提示数字个数最少的有唯一解的数独起始布局。
Those involved in the project say initial evaluations have reduced the range to 11-17 initial clues; the next step is to use volunteer computing to increase this lower number, until one user either finds a new minimal example, or it can be shown that no such examples exist for up to 16 givens.
项目负责人表示，在项目刚开始测试的阶段已经将范围缩小到 11-17 个提示数字，下一步就是利用志愿计算的力量来提高下界，直到有用户找到一个破纪录的数独起始布局或者穷举证明不存在满足条件的含有 16 个或以下提示数字的起始布局。
You can participate by downloading and running the BOINC program on your computer.
您可以通过在您的电脑上通过下载并运行 BOINC 客户端来参加这个项目。
What is the minimum number of clues required to solve a Sudoku? The BOINC-powered Sudoku project is keen to find out.
解出一个数独迷题最少需要多少个提示数字？基于 BOINC 平台的新项目正致力于找到这个问题的答案。
Image courtesy of the Sudoku project
蒙 Sudoku 项目惠允
