No wonder Sudoku puzzles give your brain a good work-out. Scientists say solving them depends on neural pathways that even the most powerful computers can't replicate.
They say that by studying how people solve the puzzles, we might be able to develop more intelligent and brain-like computers.
In a paper published on the arXiv physics website, Professor John Hopfield of Princeton University explores the unique brain processes we use when playing Sudoku.
This mathematical puzzle involves filling in a grid of 81 squares with varying combinations of the numbers one to nine, something that sounds simple but can be diabolically hard.
To crack Sudoku our brains use a unique set of neural pathways known as associative memory, Hopfield says, which enables us to discover a pattern from a partial clue.
Although computers can store large amounts of information and process it at great speed, they aren't yet capable of sophisticated associative memory.
Hopfield provides an algorithm of associative memory in his paper, which he says could be implemented in silicon chips.
Why Sudoku makes your brain ache
Labels: Sudoku vs Brain
