The use of applied probability in the computer construction of crossword puzzles

This paper reports on the construction of a crossword puzzle generator. After an unsuccessful attempt to construct puzzles by whole word insertion, puzzles were constructed letter by letter. Heuristically determined decision structure was required. The constructor resolved questions of letter selection, ordering and reordering of the solution sequence, dictionary structure and access, and decision path selection. The decision basis for letter selection was based on a psuedo-probabilistic approach.