Sudoku-Bench: Unlocking Creative Reasoning in LLMs

Large language models (LLMs) often struggle with truly creative reasoning, instead relying on pattern recognition and memorization. Sudoku-Bench, a novel benchmark, aims to change this by challenging LLMs with unconventional Sudoku variants. These puzzles demand genuine multi-step logical thinking, pushing beyond simple pattern matching.

The Genius of Sudoku Variants

Sudoku, in its diverse forms, provides a perfect testing ground. Each variant presents unique constraints, preventing memorization and requiring innovative problem-solving strategies. The consistent structure of Sudoku, despite the variant’s complexity, allows for standardized evaluation. This makes Sudoku-Bench a powerful tool for researching and advancing AI reasoning capabilities.

Why Sudoku-Bench Matters

Existing benchmarks often fall short in evaluating genuine creative reasoning in AI. Sudoku-Bench offers a significant upgrade, focusing on puzzles that demand creative, multi-step problem-solving. The benchmark includes a curated set of challenging Sudoku puzzles, a standardized representation, and tools to easily incorporate thousands of additional puzzles. This scalability and adaptability make it an ideal resource for the research community.

Pushing the Limits of AI Reasoning

Initial experiments reveal that even the most advanced LLMs currently struggle, with success rates below 15%. This underscores a significant gap in current AI capabilities. Sudoku-Bench presents a potent challenge, pushing researchers to develop LLMs capable of handling complex, strategic reasoning over multiple steps.

Conclusion: A New Frontier in AI Reasoning

• ✓ Sudoku-Bench offers a unique approach to evaluating creative reasoning in LLMs.
• ✓ It leverages the inherent complexity of Sudoku variants to challenge memorization-based solutions.
• ✓ The benchmark is scalable and adaptable, encouraging wider research participation.
• ✓ Initial results highlight a clear need for advancements in long-horizon, strategic reasoning in AI.

Sudoku-Bench represents a significant step forward in benchmarking AI’s creative reasoning abilities. The challenges posed by these puzzles promise to spur innovation and drive improvements in the next generation of LLMs.