Kids doing Sudoku

Erin had an extra credit assignment for Calculus over the break. She was to complete a Sudoku puzzle using answers from calculus problems. She’d figured out the answers to most of the problems, but Sudoku bores her to tears. Nathan LOVES Sudoku. After struggling with it for 45 minutes, she asked Nathan to help.

I'll let you figure out who was speaking throughout - although I'm always going to be The Voice of Reason.

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This one needs to be a five

Which one?

This one.
Which one?

This one.

Ok…wait, it doesn’t have to be a five. It could be a five.

No, it’s a five because that’s the answer to the problem.

But in Sudoku it doesn’t have to be a five.

It has to be a five for this Sudoku, right now, today.

Fine!

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Two.

Where?

Right here.

Fine!

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This one is either a 3, 4 , 5, 6, 7 or 8.

Thank you.

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What?

Potayto!

Potahto!

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This could be a 1.

Awesome.

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Pencil tapping, tapping, tapping, tapping, tapping..

NATHAN!!!

…Is cool.

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Got ‘em Coach! That’s a nine!!

You are such a geek.

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I’m not sure if that works or not. Wait.

So why did you write it in?

I’m trying it.

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This could also be a nine.

Which one?

The middle one?

Yeah.

Really?

No.

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You can’t just do that and check.

Yes I can. There’s no rule.

But, it’s not the way you’re supposed to…

I asked you for help on the stupid thing, just help me for Heaven’s sake!

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This one’s a 2.

I know.

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I think I got it.

I’m still going to finish it.

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I think the 3 and the 1 are interchangeable here.

That can’t be!

Yes it can. It’s the way it is.

That really can’t be.

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I think it is that you can put either a 3 or a 1 there and here.

Told you.

There can’t be two solutions, tho.

There has to be.

Voice of Reason: Do you want to check it online?

CAN YOU DO THAT?

Oh my GOD. I could have done that an hour ago?