-4

can anyone please teach me how to use Genetic Algorithm to solve the sudoku generated by the source code below? The newly created Genetic Algorithm solver for the sudoku should use back the instances in the source code below.

import java.util.Random;
//Generates a Sudoku puzzle through brute-force

public class SudokuPuzzle
{
    public int[][] puzzle = new int[9][9];        // Generated puzzle.
    public int[][] solved_puzzle = new int[9][9]; // The solved puzzle.

private int[][] _tmp_grid = new int[9][9]; // For the solver
private Random rand = new Random();
private short solution_count; // Should be 1

/**
 * Constructor generates a new puzzle, and its solution
 */
public SudokuPuzzle()
{
    generateSolvedPuzzle(0);
    generatePuzzle();
}

/**
 * Finds a solved puzzle through depth-first search
 */
private boolean generateSolvedPuzzle(int cur_cell)
{
    if (cur_cell > 80)
        return true;

    int col = cur_cell % 9;
    int row = cur_cell / 9;

    // create a sequence of the integers {1,...,9} of random order
    int [] numbers = new int[9];
    for (int i=0; i < 9; i++)
        numbers[i] = 1+i;
    shuffle_array(numbers);

    for (int i=0; i < 9; i++)
    {
        int n = numbers[i]; // for the next number in the array
        // if number is acceptable by Sudoku rules
        if (!existsInColumn(solved_puzzle, n, col)
                && !existsInRow(solved_puzzle, n, row)
                && !existsInSubGrid(solved_puzzle, n, row, col))
        {
            // attempt to fill in the next cell with the current cell set to number
            solved_puzzle[row][col] = n;
            if (generateSolvedPuzzle(cur_cell + 1))
                return true;
            solved_puzzle[row][col] = 0; // didn't work, reset cell and try the next number in sequence
        }
    }
    return false; // unreachable (since search is exhaustive and a solved puzzle must exist)
}

/**
 * Solves the Sudoku puzzle through depth-first, exhaustive search, and store the number of
 * solutions in solution_count. Currently, we want to use this only to detect if two solutions
 * exist. Hence, we stop the search as soon as two solutions have been found.
 *
 *
 */
private boolean _solvePuzzle(int cur_cell)
{
    if (cur_cell > 80)
    {
        solution_count++;
        if (solution_count > 1) // two solutions detected. notify caller to abort search
            return true;
        return false;
    }

    int col = cur_cell % 9;
    int row = cur_cell / 9;

    if (_tmp_grid[row][col] == 0) // if cell is unfilled
    {
        for (int n=1; n <= 9; n++) // for each number
        {
            // if number is acceptable by Sudoku rules
            if (!existsInColumn(_tmp_grid, n, col)
                    && !existsInRow(_tmp_grid, n, row)
                    && !existsInSubGrid(_tmp_grid, n, row, col))
            {
                // attempt to fill in the next cell with the current cell set to number
                _tmp_grid[row][col] = n;
                if (_solvePuzzle(cur_cell + 1)) // notified of two solutions being detected
                    return true; // notify caller to abort search
                _tmp_grid[row][col] = 0; // try with other numbers
            }
        }
    }
    else
        if (_solvePuzzle(cur_cell + 1)) // notified of two solutions being detected
            return true; // notify caller to abort search

    return false;
}

private void shuffle_array(int array[])
{
    // swap the first size elements with other elements from the whole array
    for (int i = 0; i < array.length; i++)
    {
        // find an index j (i<j<=array_length) to swap with the element i
        int j = i + rand.nextInt(array.length - i);
        int t = array[j];
        array[j] = array[i];
        array[i] = t;
    }
}

/**
 * Returns whether a given number exists in a given column.
 *
 * @param col    column to check.
 * @param number number to check.
 * @return       true iff number exists in row.
 */
private boolean existsInColumn(int[][] puzzle, int number, int col)
{
    for (int row = 0; row < 9; row++)
        if (puzzle[row][col] == number)
            return true;
    return false;
}

/**
 * Returns whether a given number exists in a given row.
 *
 * @param row    row to check.
 * @param number number to check.
 * @return       true iff number exists in row.
 */
private boolean existsInRow(int[][] puzzle, int number, int row)
{
    for (int col = 0; col < 9; col++)
        if (puzzle[row][col] == number)
            return true;
    return false;
}

/**
 * Returns whether if the 3x3 sub-grid which includes (row, col) contains a
 * cell with the given number.
 *
 * @param row    a row in the sub-grid.
 * @param col    a col in the sub-grid.
 * @param number number to check.
 * @return       true iff sub-grid contains number.
 */
private boolean existsInSubGrid(int[][] puzzle, int number, int row, int col)
{
    int sub_grid_start_row = (row / 3)*3;
    int sub_grid_start_col = (col / 3)*3;
    for (int _row = sub_grid_start_row; _row < sub_grid_start_row + 3; _row++)
        for (int _col = sub_grid_start_col; _col < sub_grid_start_col + 3; _col++)
            if (puzzle[_row][_col] == number)
                return true;
    return false;
}

/**
 * Generates a Sudoku puzzle from a solved puzzle by setting up to 64 cells to 0.
 * (We cannot set more than 64 cells to 0. See http://www.math.ie/McGuire_V1.pdf)
 */
private void generatePuzzle()
{
    // copy solved_puzzle to puzzle
    for (int row = 0; row < 9; row++)
        for (int col = 0; col < 9; col++)
            puzzle[row][col] = solved_puzzle[row][col];

    // create a sequence of the integers {0,...,80} of random order
    int [] cell_sequence = new int[81];
    for (int i=0; i < 81; i++)
        cell_sequence[i] = i;
    shuffle_array(cell_sequence);

    // attempt to set each cell in the sequence to 0
    int count_set_to_zero = 0;
    for (int i=0; i < 81 && count_set_to_zero < 64; i++)
    {
        int cur_cell = cell_sequence[i];
        int col = cur_cell % 9;
        int row = cur_cell / 9;
        int sav = puzzle[row][col];
        puzzle[row][col] = 0;
        solution_count = 0;

        // copy puzzle to _tmp_grid for the solver to work on
        for (int r = 0; r < 9; r++)
            for (int c = 0; c < 9; c++)
                _tmp_grid[r][c] = puzzle[r][c];

        if (_solvePuzzle(0)) // Puzzle allows more than 1 solution
            puzzle[row][col] = sav; // Revert to original puzzle
        else
            count_set_to_zero++;
    }
}

public void showSolution()
{
    for (int row = 0; row < 9; row++)
    {
        System.out.print("  ");
        for (int col = 0; col < 9; col++)
            System.out.print(" " + solved_puzzle[row][col]);
        System.out.println();
    }
}

public void show()
{
    for (int row = 0; row < 9; row++)
    {
        System.out.print("  ");
        for (int col = 0; col < 9; col++)
            System.out.print(" " + puzzle[row][col]);
        System.out.println();
    }
}

public static void main(String[] args)
{
    SudokuPuzzle sudoku_puzzle = new SudokuPuzzle();
    System.out.println("Puzzle:");
    sudoku_puzzle.show();
    System.out.println();
    System.out.println("Solution:");
    sudoku_puzzle.showSolution();
}

}

Alan
  • 1
  • 1
  • 3
  • 1
    What is the question, exactly? – amit Jul 04 '12 at 09:06
  • 3
    Are you talking about genetic algorithms as described on wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_algorithm)? I dont think you can *translate* this code into such an algorithm, you are talking about a complete rewrite. Its an entirely different concept. – Mizipzor Jul 04 '12 at 09:07
  • amit, i have to make a program which uses Genetic Algorithm to solve the Sudoku. The Sudoku's questions shall be generated by the program that I posted above and I have to create a solver for it. – Alan Jul 04 '12 at 09:12
  • mizipzor, yes, its as described on wikipedia. is it not possible to translate this code to genetic algorithm? how bout if i rewrite a new program for it? this program actually will generate a sudoku question and i have to create a solver to solve it using genetic algorithm.. i searched for few hours on the internet but still cant find a solution to this :( pls help.. – Alan Jul 04 '12 at 09:14

1 Answers1

3

You can start by taking a look here and here. These are not Java based solutions but should get you on the right track.

Just because you have access to the program generating the puzzle you can't just go and translate that to a GA based application reason being that the program you have and the one you want to build perform different tasks.

npinti
  • 51,780
  • 5
  • 72
  • 96
  • Thanks for replying. May I know is that I have to generate a new puzzle(question) based on the code above and write a function based on Genetic Algorithm in Java to solve it? – Alan Jul 04 '12 at 09:28
  • 1
    @Alan: I did not really understand your question, however, what you will need is to write a good [fitness function](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitness_function). Once you will have that sorted out, implementing the GA should not be that difficult. – npinti Jul 04 '12 at 09:39
  • @Alan: No worries. Once you have the Fitness Functions, the rest should not be difficult at all. Good luck. – npinti Jul 04 '12 at 09:54