Sudoku solving algorithm C++

Question

I'm trying to make a Sudoku Solving program for a couple of days but I'm stuck with the methods. I found this algorithm here but I don't really understand it:

1. start at the first empty cell, and put 1 in it.
2. Check the entire board, and see if there are any conflicts
3. If there are coflicts on the board, increase the number in the current cell by 1 (so change 1 to 2, 2 to 3, etc)
4. If the board is clean move, start at step one again.
5. If all nine possible numbers on a given cell cause a conflict in the board, then you set this cell back to empty, go back to the previous cell, and start again from step 3 (this is where the 'backtracking' comes in).

Here is my code. I think something is wrong with my Help_Solve(...) function. Can you help me to identify the problem, please?

    #include <iostream>
#include <iomanip>
#include <time.h>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <windows.h>
using namespace std;

class Sudoku
  {
    private:
    int board[9][9];
    int change[9][9];
    public:
    Sudoku();
    void Print_Board();  
    void Add_First_Cord();  
    void Solve();
    void Help_Solve(int i, int j);
    bool Check_Conflicts(int p, int i, int j);
  };

Sudoku Game;  

void setcolor(unsigned short color)                 //The function that you'll use to
{                                                   //set the colour
    HANDLE hcon = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE);
    SetConsoleTextAttribute(hcon,color);
}

Sudoku::Sudoku()
  {
    for(int i = 1; i <= 9; i++)
      for(int j = 1; j <= 9; j++)
        board[i][j] = 0;            
  }

void Sudoku::Print_Board()
  {
    for(int i = 1; i <= 9; i++)
      {
        for(int j = 1; j <= 9; j++)
          {
            if(change[i][j] == 1) 
              {
                setcolor(12);
                cout << board[i][j] << " ";
                setcolor(7);           
              }
              else cout << board[i][j] << " ";  
              if(j%3 == 0) cout << "| ";
          }
        cout << endl;
        if(i%3 == 0) cout << "------+-------+---------" << endl;

      }                    
  }

void Sudoku::Add_First_Cord()
  {
    board[1][1] = 5; change[1][1] = 1;
    board[1][2] = 3; change[1][2] = 1;     
    board[1][5] = 7; change[1][5] = 1;      
    board[2][1] = 6; change[2][1] = 1;  
    board[2][4] = 1; change[2][4] = 1;       
    board[2][5] = 9; change[2][5] = 1;  
    board[2][6] = 5; change[2][6] = 1; 
    board[3][2] = 9; change[3][2] = 1;      
    board[3][3] = 8; change[3][3] = 1;   
    board[3][8] = 6; change[3][8] = 1;     
    board[4][1] = 8; change[4][1] = 1;    
    board[4][5] = 6; change[4][5] = 1;    
    board[4][9] = 3; change[4][9] = 1;    
    board[5][1] = 4; change[5][1] = 1; 
    board[5][4] = 8; change[5][4] = 1;  
    board[5][6] = 3; change[5][6] = 1;  
    board[5][9] = 1; change[5][9] = 1;   
    board[6][1] = 7; change[6][1] = 1; 
    board[6][5] = 2; change[6][5] = 1;   
    board[6][9] = 6; change[6][9] = 1;  
    board[7][2] = 6; change[7][2] = 1;  
    board[7][7] = 2; change[7][7] = 1;  
    board[7][8] = 8; change[7][8] = 1;  
    board[8][4] = 4; change[8][4] = 1; 
    board[8][5] = 1; change[8][5] = 1;   
    board[8][6] = 9; change[8][6] = 1; 
    board[8][9] = 5; change[8][9] = 1;   
    board[9][5] = 8; change[9][5] = 1;  
    board[9][8] = 7; change[9][8] = 1;  
    board[9][9] = 9; change[9][9] = 1;  
  }

bool Sudoku::Check_Conflicts(int p, int i, int j)
  {
    for(int k = 1; k <= 9; k++)
      if(board[i][k] == p) return false;

    for(int q = 1; q <= 9; q++)
      if(board[q][j] == p) return false;

    /*
      *00
      000
      000
    */
    if((j == 1 || j == 4 || j == 7) && (i == 1 || i == 4 || i == 7))
      {
         if(board[i][j+1] == p || board[i][j+2] == p || board[i+1][j] == p || 
             board[i+2][j] == p || board[i+1][j+1] == p || board[i+1][j+2] == p || 
                 board[i+2][j+1] == p || board[i+2][j+2] == p)return false;     
      } 


    /*
      000
      000
      *00
    */  
    if((j == 1 || j == 4 || j == 7) && (i == 3 || i == 6 || i == 9))
      {
         if(board[i-1][j] == p || board[i-2][j] == p || board[i][j+1] == p || 
             board[i][j+2] == p || board[i-1][j+1] == p || board[i-1][j+2] == p || 
                 board[i-2][j+1] == p || board[i-2][j+2] == p)return false;   
      }

    /*
      000
      *00
      000
    */            
    if((j == 1 || j == 4 || j == 7) && (i == 2 || i == 5 || i == 8))
      {
         if(board[i-1][j] == p || board[i+1][j] == p || board[i-1][j+1] == p || 
             board[i][j+1] == p || board[i+1][j+1] == p || board[i+1][j+2] == p || 
                 board[i][j+2] == p || board[i+1][j+2] == p)return false;  
      } 


    /*
      0*0
      000
      000
    */            
    if((j == 2 || j == 5 || j == 8) && (i == 1 || i == 5 || i == 7))
      {
         if(board[i-1][j] == p || board[i+1][j] == p || board[i-1][j+1] == p || 
             board[i][j+1] == p || board[i+1][j+1] == p || board[i+1][j+2] == p || 
                 board[i][j+2] == p || board[i+1][j+2] == p)return false;  
      }

    /*
      000
      0*0
      000
    */            
    if((j == 2 || j == 5 || j == 8) && (i == 2 || i == 5 || i == 8))
      {
         if(board[i-1][j] == p || board[i-1][j-1] == p || board[i-1][j+1] == p || 
             board[i][j+1] == p || board[i][j-1] == p || board[i+1][j+1] == p || 
                 board[i][j] == p || board[i+1][j-1] == p)return false;  
      }


    /*
      000
      000
      0*0
    */            
    if((j == 2 || j == 5 || j == 8) && (i == 3 || i == 6 || i == 9))
      {
         if(board[i][j-1] == p || board[i][j+1] == p || board[i-1][j] == p || 
             board[i-1][j+1] == p || board[i-1][j-1] == p || board[i-2][j] == p || 
                 board[i-1][j+1] == p || board[i-2][j-1] == p) return false;  
      }  

    /*
      00*
      000
      000
    */            
    if((j == 3 || j == 6 || j == 9) && (i == 1 || i == 4 || i == 7))
      {
         if(board[i][j-1] == p || board[i][j-2] == p || board[i+1][j] == p || 
             board[i+1][j-1] == p || board[i+1][j-2] == p || board[i+2][j] == p || 
                 board[i+2][j-1] == p || board[i+2][j-2] == p) return false;  
      } 

    /*
      000
      00*
      000
    */            
    if((j == 3 || j == 6 || j == 9) && (i == 2 || i == 5 || i == 8))
      {
         if(board[i-1][j] == p || board[i-1][j-1] == p || board[i-1][j-2] == p || 
             board[i][j-1] == p || board[i][j-2] == p || board[i+1][j] == p || 
                 board[i+1][j-1] == p || board[i+1][j-2] == p) return false;  
      }

    /*
      000
      000
      00*
    */            
    if((j == 3 || j == 6 || j == 9) && (i == 3 || i == 6 || i == 9))
      {
         if(board[i][j-1] == p || board[i][j-1] == p || board[i-1][j] == p || 
             board[i-1][j-1] == p || board[i-1][j-2] == p || board[i-2][j] == p || 
                 board[i-2][j-1] == p || board[i-2][j-2] == p) return false;  
      }      

    return true;                          
  }

void Sudoku::Help_Solve(int i, int j)
  {
    if(j <= 0) 
      {
        i = i-1;
        j = 9;
      }
    if(change[i][j] == 1) return Game.Help_Solve(i, j-1);
    for(int p = 1; p <= 9; p++)
      if(Game.Check_Conflicts(p, i, j)) 
        {
          board[i][j] = p;
          return;
        }
    return Game.Help_Solve(i, j-1);

  }

void Sudoku::Solve()
  {                          
      for(int i = 1; i <= 9; i++)
        {
          for(int j = 1; j <= 9; j++)
            {
              if(board[i][j] == 0 && change[i][j] == 0)
                {
                  Game.Help_Solve(i, j);           
                }      
            }      
        }

      for(int i = 1; i <= 9; i++)
        for(int j = 1; j <= 9; j++)
          if(board[i][j] == 0) Game.Help_Solve(i, j);

  }


int main()
{
  Game.Add_First_Cord();
  Game.Solve();
  Game.Print_Board();  

  system("pause");
  return 0;
}

Edit: I need to use recursion right? But maybe the parameters I give to the function are wrong. I really don't know. In Add_First_Cord() I declare the starting values that every sudoku has in the beginning. Here are the values that I use: http://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB:Sudoku-by-L2G-20050714.gif. I expect to see the solved sudoku as it is shown in wikipedia. But some solved values are right others are not. Here is what I get in the console

Answer 1

Suggested Approach

1. Implement a generic graph search algorithm
   • could use either IDFS or A* graph search
     • I would prefer the second
   • do this for a general directed graph
     • node type TNode
     • node successor function TNode => vector<TNode>
2. Define your Sudoku states
   • a state is a 9x9 array with a number 1, 2, ..., or 9 or a blank in each position
3. Define what a goal Sudoku state is
   • all 81 cells filled in
   • all 9 rows have numbers {1, 2, ..., 9} in them
   • all 9 columns have numbers {1, 2, ..., 9} in them
   • all 9 3x3 squares have numbers {1, 2, ..., 9} in them
4. Define your valid Sudoku state successor function
   • a state S can have number N added at row I, column J if:
     • cell (I,J) is empty
     • there is no other N in row I
     • there is no other N in column J
     • there is no other N in the 3x3 square containing (I,J)
   • the state successor function maps a state S to the vector of states that satisfy these rules
5. Apply your generic graph search algorithm (1) to the Sudoku state graph (2-4)
6. (optional) If you do choose to use A* graph search, you can also define a heuristic on your Sudoku state space to potentially drastically increase performance
   • how to design the heuristic is another whole problem, that's more of an art than a science

Current Approach

Your current approach mixes the specification of the graph to be searched and the implementation of the search algorithm. You're going to have a lot of difficulty if you mix those two. This problem naturally separates into two distinct pieces -- the algorithm and the graph -- so you can and should exploit that in your implementation. It will make it much simpler.

The other benefit you get if you go with this separation is that you will be able to reuse your graph search algorithm on a huge number of problems - very cool!