Solving Sudoku Puzzles Using Improved Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm

Abstract

Sudoku puzzles belong to a set of hard problems called NP-Complete problems. A Sudoku puzzle is a logic-based combinatorial puzzle with rules that are relatively simple. Various algorithms have been applied to solve this combinatorial problem. A relatively new algorithm called Artificial Bee Colony algorithm was developed in 2005. The algorithm mimics the way bees forage for food and has been successfully applied to a wide array of NP-Complete problems. This paper explores the possibility of using an improved variant of the Artificial Bee Colony algorithm in solving Sudoku Puzzles. The results obtained support the conclusion that the algorithm can be used to solve Sudoku Puzzles efficiently and effectively.