An ant algorithm for the Sudoku problem

Abstract

In this paper an ant algorithm for the Sudoku problem is presented. This is the first ant algorithm enabling discovery of an optimal solution to the Sudoku puzzle for 100% of investigated cases. The Sudoku is a one of many combinatorial optimisation problems, as well as an NP complete problem, hence an ant algorithm which constructs an optimal solution as a meta-heuristic method is important for this problem.