The Minesweeper Puzzle
Solution

Puzzle 1:

        *|1| | |1|*|.
        -+-+-+-+-+-+-
        .|2| | |1|2|*
        -+-+-+-+-+-+-
        *|1| | | |2|.
        -+-+-+-+-+-+-
        .|2| | | |1|*
        -+-+-+-+-+-+-
        *|1|1|1|1|2|.
        -+-+-+-+-+-+-
        .|.|.|*|.|.|*
      

Puzzle 2:

        .|.|*|*|.|.
        -+-+-+-+-+-
        .|2|2|2|2|.
        -+-+-+-+-+-
        *|2| | |2|*
        -+-+-+-+-+-
        *|2| | |2|*
        -+-+-+-+-+-
        .|2|2|2|2|.
        -+-+-+-+-+-
        .|.|*|*|.|.
      

Puzzle 3: I don't know what to say about this puzzle, except that I've thought about it for a while, and I see some small ideas, but the big picture eludes me; I can't see yet how to think about this problem, but it intrigues me, as does the general question of when you know how to set up a problem that is solvable.

Reference:

1. Richard Kaye,
   Minesweeper is NP Complete,
   Mathematical Intelligencer,
   Spring, 2000, Volume 22, #2, pages 9-15.
2. Ian Stewart,
   Million Dollar Minesweeper,
   Scientific american,
   October 2000, pages 94-95.

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