This project is a simple and efficient Sudoku solver built using the C programming language. It uses backtracking to solve any 9x9 Sudoku puzzle that follows the classic rules.
- Takes Sudoku input directly from the user
- Prints the original and solved grid in a clean 3×3 format
- Validates rows, columns, and 3×3 boxes
- Uses recursion and backtracking to find the solution
- Displays a message if the puzzle is unsolvable
- Empty cells are filled one by one.
- For each empty cell, it tries numbers from 1 to 9.
- After placing a number, it checks if the move is valid.
- If valid, it moves to the next empty cell.
- If no number fits, it backtracks and tries a different number.
- The process repeats until the puzzle is solved or declared unsolvable.
- Timer to show time taken to solve the puzzle
- Difficulty validator to check if the input puzzle has a unique solution
- Highlight prefilled or solved cells.
- Build a windowed or terminal-based interface
- Generate valid puzzles with varying difficulty
- GCC Compiler (v9+)
- C Standard (C99 or above)
- OS (Windows, Linux, Mac)
- On Windows: Install MinGW-w64 or use WSL with GCC.
- On Linux/macOS: GCC is usually pre-installed or available via package manager.