What differentiates one Easy rated Sudoku puzzle from another; or one three out of five stars from another; or one Hard from another? Are puzzles from one source rated at a given difficulty level generally harder or easier than from a different source with the same difficulty level? How should one go about solving a Sudoku puzzle? So many questions. This book is the culmination of studying and applying data analytics to over 5600 puzzles from 27 sources in addition to the development of the logic required to solve them. 10 solution levels (logic) were defined, and the distributions of these solutions levels within a difficulty level were used to create the 300 puzzles in this book. The specific goals of their creation were:

• All puzzles would be solvable by logic, and logic only, NO GUESSING.

• All puzzles would be solved as I would solve them by hand, using a methodical, logical approach defined in the solution levels. This gives them a personal touch.

• All puzzles would reflect visual symmetry, an accepted practice among Sudoku puzzles.

• All puzzles would be created based on the distributions of solution levels found in a given difficulty level. Puzzles within a difficulty level might require different logic to solve thus providing a different challenge than the one before or after it.

If you're new to Sudoku this book is for you. You are assured that all puzzles can be solved using a methodical approach based on logic, and only logic. An excellent way to begin your Sudoku study. If you're already a student of Sudoku, this book is also for you. It will provide you with the opportunity to hone your existing logic skills and discover new ones. If you are a player who often guesses, you can be assured that these puzzles can (and I would argue, must) be solved by logic alone. To assist you, included is my 9x9 matrix that I used in my study, and which proved to be invaluable. Maybe it will help you too. Become a disciple of Sudoku. Just remember, NO GUESSING.

What differentiates one Easy rated Sudoku puzzle from another; or one three out of five stars from another; or one Hard from another? Are puzzles from one source rated at a given difficulty level generally harder or easier than from a different source with the same difficulty level? How should one go about solving a Sudoku puzzle? So many questions. This book is the culmination of studying and applying data analytics to over 5600 puzzles from 27 sources in addition to the development of the logic required to solve them. 10 solution levels (logic) were defined, and the distributions of these solutions levels within a difficulty level were used to create the 300 puzzles in this book. The specific goals of their creation were:

• All puzzles would be solvable by logic, and logic only, NO GUESSING.

• All puzzles would be solved as I would solve them by hand, using a methodical, logical approach defined in the solution levels. This gives them a personal touch.

• All puzzles would reflect visual symmetry, an accepted practice among Sudoku puzzles.

• All puzzles would be created based on the distributions of solution levels found in a given difficulty level. Puzzles within a difficulty level might require different logic to solve thus providing a different challenge than the one before or after it.

If you're new to Sudoku this book is for you. You are assured that all puzzles can be solved using a methodical approach based on logic, and only logic. An excellent way to begin your Sudoku study. If you're already a student of Sudoku, this book is also for you. It will provide you with the opportunity to hone your existing logic skills and discover new ones. If you are a player who often guesses, you can be assured that these puzzles can (and I would argue, must) be solved by logic alone. To assist you, included is my 9x9 matrix that I used in my study, and which proved to be invaluable. Maybe it will help you too. Become a disciple of Sudoku. Just remember, NO GUESSING. Only logic.

Tony Smaldone has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and is ABD for a doctorate. He has worked in industry for over 40 years; first as a technical and network engineer at a major computer company, then as an engineer and manager at a major defense contractor where his focus was on the development of a stochastic software model of a sophisticated radar and weapons system. Mr. Smaldone is also an adjunct professor of mathematics at a local college and a teacher of mathematics at a private Catholic high school. His interests include (not necessarily in any order) mathematical modeling, data analytics, data science, statistics, software design, logic circuits, and, of course, Sudoku.