Survo Puzzle - Example

Example

Here is a simple Survo puzzle with 3 rows and 4 columns:

Numbers 3, 6, and 8 are readily given. The task is to put remaining numbers of 1-12 (3×4=12) to their places so that the sums are correct.

The puzzle has a unique solution found stepwise as follows: The missing numbers are 1,2,4,5,7,9,10,11,12. Usually it is best to start from a row or a column with fewest missing numbers. In this case columns A, B, and C are such.

Column A is not favorable since the sum 19 of missing numbers can be presented according to the rules in several ways (e.g. 19 = 7 + 12 = 12 + 7 = 9 + 10 = 10 + 9). In the column B the sum of missing numbers is 10 having only one partition 10 = 1 + 9 since the other alternatives 10 = 2 + 8 = 3 + 7 = 4 + 6 are not accepted due to numbers already present in the table. Number 9 cannot be put in the row 2 since then the sum of this row would exceed the value 18. Therefore the only choice is to start the solution by

Now the column A has only one alternative 27 - 8 = 19 = 7 + 12 = 12 + 7. Number 7 cannot be in the row 1 because the sum of missing numbers in that row would be 30 - 7 - 6 = 17 and this allows no permitted partition. Thus we have

implying that the last number in the last row will be 30 - 7 - 9 -3 = 11:

In the first row the sum of the missing numbers is 30 - 12 - 6 = 12. Its only possible partition is 12 = 2 + 10 and so that number 2 will be in the column C; 10 in this position is too much for the column sum.

The solution is then easily completed as

Thus basic arithmetics and simple reasoning is enough for solving easy Survo puzzles like this one.