A Comparative Analysis of Solving Sudoku Using Genetic Algorithm and DLX

Manish S. R., Varshanth Reddy Y., Yuvraj R., Gayathri Ramasamy

2025

Abstract

The Sudoku solving algorithms are very much essential for solving combinatorial optimization problems, especially in areas of artificial intelligence, operations research, and recreational mathematics. This research evaluates and compares the effectiveness of Genetic Algorithms (GA) and the Dancing Links (DLX) algorithm in solving Sudoku puzzles, focusing on performance, computational efficiency, and accuracy. The GA approach uses heuristics including population initialization, fitness evaluation, crossover, and mutation for iterative approximation of solutions, whereas the DLX algorithm, also known as Algorithm X, translates the Sudoku problem into an exact cover problem and employs a matrix-based linked list structure for deterministic solution finding. The results of comparative analysis over a variety of puzzle complexities indicate that the GA is considerably good at heuristic exploration. GA can solve relatively simpler puzzles with ease but consumes much more computational resources for complex cases. Meanwhile, DLX always obtains an exact solution with optimal efficiency but fails to explore suboptimal solutions flexibly. The results show the strengths and weaknesses of both techniques, and offer substantial insight for algorithm selection with criteria for problem conditions and complexity, relevant to a general class of larger combinatorial optimization problems.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

R. M., Y. V., R. Y. and Ramasamy G. (2025). A Comparative Analysis of Solving Sudoku Using Genetic Algorithm and DLX. In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Research and Development in Information, Communication, and Computing Technologies - ICRDICCT`25; ISBN 978-989-758-777-1, SciTePress, pages 631-637. DOI: 10.5220/0013918000004919

in Bibtex Style

@conference{icrdicct`2525,
author={Manish R. and Varshanth Y. and Yuvraj R. and Gayathri Ramasamy},
title={A Comparative Analysis of Solving Sudoku Using Genetic Algorithm and DLX},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Research and Development in Information, Communication, and Computing Technologies - ICRDICCT`25},
year={2025},
pages={631-637},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0013918000004919},
isbn={978-989-758-777-1},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Research and Development in Information, Communication, and Computing Technologies - ICRDICCT`25
TI - A Comparative Analysis of Solving Sudoku Using Genetic Algorithm and DLX
SN - 978-989-758-777-1
AU - R. M.
AU - Y. V.
AU - R. Y.
AU - Ramasamy G.
PY - 2025
SP - 631
EP - 637
DO - 10.5220/0013918000004919
PB - SciTePress