Related papers: An analogue of Ryser's Theorem for partial Sudoku …

Hall's Condition is a necessary condition for a partial latin square to be completable. Hilton and Johnson showed that for a partial latin square whose filled cells form a rectangle, Hall's Condition is equivalent to Ryser's Condition,…

A partial Latin square of order $n$ can be represented by a $3$-dimensional chess-board of size $n\times n\times n$ with at most $n^2$ non-attacking rooks. Based on this representation, we apply a uniform method to prove the M. Hall's,…

For Latin squares the units (rows and columns) have fixed sum. The same holds for rows, columns, and blocks in Sudokus. Summing the elements of a unit yields a linear equation, and the set of all such equations forms a system of linear…

The problem of completing a partially specified n by n Latin square is solved by an alternative proof, based on filling the rows (or diagonals) from 1 to n, using an extended form of Hall's marriage theorem.

Let $L$ be an $n\times n$ array whose top left $r\times s$ subarray is filled with $k$ different symbols, each occurring at most once in each row and at most once in each column. We find necessary and sufficient conditions that ensure the…

In 1974 Allan Cruse provided necessary and sufficient conditions to extend an $r\times s$ partial latin rectangle consisting of $t$ distinct symbols to a latin square of order $n$. Here we provide some generalizations and consequences of…

Consider a partial Latin square $P$ where the first two rows and first three columns are completely filled, and every other cell of $P$ is empty. It has been conjectured that all such partial Latin squares of order at least $8$ are…

Over the last decade, Sudoku, a combinatorial number-placement puzzle, has become a favorite pastimes of many all around the world. In this puzzle, the task is to complete a partially filled $9 \times 9$ square with numbers 1 through 9,…

We study a system of linear equations associated with Sudoku latin squares. The coefficient matrix $M$ of the normal system has various symmetries arising from Sudoku. From this, we find the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of $M$, and compute…

Let $L$ be an $n\times n$ array whose top left $r\times r$ subarray is filled with $k$ different symbols, each occurring at most once in each row and at most once in each column. We establish necessary and sufficient conditions that ensure…

Based on a previous generalization by the author of Latin squares to Latin boards, this paper generalizes partial Latin squares and related objects like partial Latin squares, completable partial Latin squares and Latin square puzzles. The…

We prove a general result on completing objects similar to Latin rectangles in which the number of occurrences of each symbol is prescribed, each cell contains multiple symbols, and no cell contains repeated symbols. This generalizes…

A partial Latin square of order $n$ can be represented by a $3$-dimensional chess-board of size $n\times n\times n$ with at most $n^2$ non-attacking rooks. In Latin squares, a subsystem and its most distant mate together have as many rooks…

We develop a new discrete mathematical model which includes the classical Sudoku puzzle, Latin Squares and gerechte designs. This problem is described by integer equations and a special type of inequality constraint. We consider solutions…

A classical question in combinatorics is the following: given a partial latin square P, when can we complete P to a latin square L? In this paper, we will investigate the class of \leq\epsilon-dense partial latin squares: partial latin…

Latin squares are interesting combinatorial objects with many applications. When working with Latin squares, one is sometimes led to deal with partial Latin squares, a generalization of Latin squares. One of the problems regarding partial…

A latin square of order $n$ with pairwise disjoint subsquares of orders $h_1,\dots,h_k$ such that $h_1+\dots+h_k = n$ is known as a realization. The existence of realizations is a partially solved problem with a few general results for an…

Completing partial latin squares is NP-complete. Motivated by Ryser's theorem for latin rectangles, in 1974, Cruse found conditions that ensure a partial symmetric latin square of order $m$ can be embedded in a symmetric latin square of…

We consider a set-valued mapping on a simple graph and ask for the existence of a disparate selection. The term disparate is defined in the paper and we present a sufficient and necessary condition for the existence of a disparate…

A classical question in combinatorics is the following:\ given a partial Latin square $P$, when can we complete $P$ to a Latin square $L$? In this paper, we investigate the class of \textbf{$\epsilon$-dense partial Latin squares}:\ partial…