Comments on Puzzle #36306: Fancy Feathered Friend
By Kristen Vognild (kristen)
peek at solution solve puzzle
quality: 
difficulty: 
solvability: moderate lookahead
peek at solution solve puzzle
quality: difficulty: solvability: moderate lookahead
Puzzle Description:
I know it's been done before (including by me), but this time it's a fancy 20x20 :)
#1: Web Paint-By-Number Robot (webpbn) on Jan 2, 2023
Found to be solvable with moderate lookahead by infrapinklizzard.#2: Joe (infrapinklizzard) on Jan 2, 2023 [HINT]
Comment Suppressed:Click below to view hints#3: Lenore Wilkison (fidelio) on Jan 3, 2023
I don't seem to have needed any look-ahead#4: David Bouldin (dbouldin) on Jan 3, 2023 [HINT]
Comment Suppressed:Click below to view hints#5: Gary Webster (glwebste) on Jan 3, 2023 [HINT]
Comment Suppressed:Click below to view hints#6: Jota (jota) on Jan 3, 2023
EL gets this one done!#7: Scott (McEncheese) on Jan 3, 2023 [HINT]
Comment Suppressed:Click below to view hints#8: Valerie Mates (valerie) on Jan 3, 2023 [HINT]
Comment Suppressed:Click below to view hints#9: gregg licht (lgreg) on Jan 4, 2023 [SPOILER]
Fun puzzle, Kristen. I'm not getting the feathered reference...does it describe a fancy script technique?#10: David Bouldin (dbouldin) on Jan 4, 2023 [HINT]
Comment Suppressed:Click below to view hints#11: Joe (infrapinklizzard) on Jan 4, 2023
Yes, there is a reason that we have coined the word "lookahead". It is separate from "guessing".#12: Courtenay Footman (Courtenay) on Jan 5, 2023 [HINT]
Guessing is where you place a pixel without any justification and keep going.
Lookahead is "placing"(without marking) a pixel or set of pixels without justification, and then going ahead in your mind to see if it leads to a contradiction. If it does, then you know that your assumed pixel is incorrect. If it does NOT, then you cannot say anything about that pixel and you must abandon it or you have guessed.
Note that the use of lookahead can only lead to ruling out whatever color you placed in that pixel to start with. It cannot, by definition, prove that the color you guessed is *correct*.
If the number of steps you have to look ahead is only a couple, as in our "advanced" techniques such as edge logic or smile logic, then we label it "moderate lookahead". If it takes much more than that, *but a solution is provided* then we label it "deep lookahead".
If there is no moderate-lookahead solution, and no one has provided a deep-lookahead solution, then it is *according to the procedures of this site* deemed to be "guessing needed".
Note that ALL lookahead is logic-based. Guessing is not lookahead, it is guessing. If you are not 100% sure of the pixel you have marked, you have guessed.
Comment Suppressed:Click below to view hints#13: Teresa K (fasstar) on Jan 5, 2023
iT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE i HAVE DONE EL. It took me a minute to remember it. Really fun solve, Kristen.#14: Valerie Mates (valerie) on Jan 6, 2023
Teresa, I know I said it before, but I am so glad you are back!!#15: Kristen Vognild (kristen) on Jan 10, 2023 [SPOILER]
Re: #9, it's a blue J. Get it? With the feathers? And it's fancy?#16: Kristen Vognild (kristen) on Jan 10, 2023 [SPOILER]
Re: #13, TERESA!! We were worried about you! Welcome back!
Also, now that I look back at it, it *does* look like a T, but I assure you it was based on a fancy J. :)#17: JoDeen Mozena (ozymoe) on Jan 10, 2023 [SPOILER]
Kristen, I'm glad you clarified your thoughts. It really helped me and gave me a lift...today, I am so discombobulated,, "Blue Jay," would probably not have connected with my mind. I love it, thanks!#18: gregg licht (lgreg) on Jan 10, 2023 [SPOILER]
Blue-J...clever. Thanks for the explanation!
Show: Hints
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