Sudoku Solver — LeetCode 37 Python Solution

The problem

Write a program to solve a Sudoku puzzle by filling the empty cells. A sudoku solution must satisfy all of the following rules: Each of the digits 1-9 must occur exactly once in each row.

Example

Input

board = [["5","3",".",".","7",".",".",".","."],["6",".",".","1","9","5",".",".","."],[".","9","8",".",".",".",".","6","."],["8",".",".",".","6",".",".",".","3"],["4",".",".","8",".","3",".",".","1"],["7",".",".",".","2",".",".",".","6"],[".","6",".",".",".",".","2","8","."],[".",".",".","4","1","9",".",".","5"],[".",".",".",".","8",".",".","7","9"]]

Output

[["5","3","4","6","7","8","9","1","2"],["6","7","2","1","9","5","3","4","8"],["1","9","8","3","4","2","5","6","7"],["8","5","9","7","6","1","4","2","3"],["4","2","6","8","5","3","7","9","1"],["7","1","3","9","2","4","8","5","6"],["9","6","1","5","3","7","2","8","4"],["2","8","7","4","1","9","6","3","5"],["3","4","5","2","8","6","1","7","9"]]

Explanation

The input board is shown above and the only valid solution is shown below:

Python solution

class Solution:
    def solveSudoku(self, board: List[List[str]]) -> None:
        def dfs(k):
            nonlocal ok
            if k == len(t):
                ok = True
                return
            i, j = t[k]
            for v in range(9):
                if row[i][v] == col[j][v] == block[i // 3][j // 3][v] == False:
                    row[i][v] = col[j][v] = block[i // 3][j // 3][v] = True
                    board[i][j] = str(v + 1)
                    dfs(k + 1)
                    row[i][v] = col[j][v] = block[i // 3][j // 3][v] = False
                if ok:
                    return

        row = [[False] * 9 for _ in range(9)]
        col = [[False] * 9 for _ in range(9)]
        block = [[[False] * 9 for _ in range(3)] for _ in range(3)]
        t = []
        ok = False
        for i in range(9):
            for j in range(9):
                if board[i][j] == '.':
                    t.append((i, j))
                else:
                    v = int(board[i][j]) - 1
                    row[i][v] = col[j][v] = block[i // 3][j // 3][v] = True
        dfs(0)

Complexity

Pattern: Backtracking

Build candidates one choice at a time and abandon a branch the moment it cannot work. LeetCode 37. Sudoku Solver is filed here because LeetCode tags it Backtracking, which is the vocabulary this hub collects.

The backtracking guide has the Python template for the pattern and the 105 LeetCode problems that use it.

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