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Suppose that we have access to only the clues of a crossword puzzle along with the number of letters that the answers are supposed to be. Is there an algorithm that we can use to reconstruct the crossword puzzle? Apart from the clues and the length of answers we also know the grid size of the crossword.

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    You might need more information to make the result of the "reconstruction" unique.2011-10-28
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    The only other information I can think of that may be relevant is the grid size. So, let us assume that we know the grid size.2011-10-28
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    transpositions will produce a second distinct puzzle for any given solution, so perhaps you should add which are the "across" and which are the "down" clues (in order), but it still doesn't seem to fit uniqueness, especially considering multiple reasonable words matching each clue.2011-10-28
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    Ah, you must mean, reconstruct the empty slots for a puzzle, no? Why are the contents of the clues relevant, then?2011-10-28
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    Yes, I simply want to recover the empty slots of the puzzle. We do know which ones are across and which ones are down along with the corresponding 'clue number'. Well the contents do matter as I wish to solve the crossword puzzle after reconstructing the grid. :-)2011-10-28
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    Different answers to the clues could result in different grids.2011-10-28
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    But, the answers are constrained by the length so the answers per se do not matter for reconstructing the grid.2011-10-28
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    Isn't it possible for two words of equal length to answer the same clue?2011-10-28
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    @TheChaz I do not see why multiple answers matter for the purpose of reconstructing the *empty* grid.2011-10-28

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