Help interpreting Tips & Tricks?
I feel like I must have reached the point where I need to apply the techniques suggested on the tips & tricks page. I'm failing, though, at understanding them. For example:
I understand the meaning of "parity" in general, but I can't figure out what it refers to here. What things are equal? Step 3 under Peninsula, for example, says, "Row/column totals give the cut parity." Is that saying 5 + 1 (from bottom 2 rows) is equal to 4 + 2 (from left 2 columns)? So the peninsula cut would only be feasible in very limited circumstances? And why would it be those left 2 columns, specifically?
I also can't figure out what makes a cut ODD or EVEN: Is it the number of grey shapes versus white shapes within the cut (e.g., 5 grey shapes + 2 white shapes = ODD because 5 > 2)? What if the shapes are evenly split, say, 2 grey, 2 white? Or is ODD/EVEN cut determined based on the sums of some row and col numbers or the number of squares within the cut or something else?
There are other tips I don't follow, too, but I didn't want to list them all here. Are these all explained more thoroughly somewhere? I'm wondering whether I missed a post or page that would help me figure out what I'm missing. If that doesn't exist, that's okay. I'm sure I'll get it eventually, but I at least wanted to ask.
Thanks for the game and the help—even if it's just, "Regretfully, no," I'll at least know I need to puzzle it out for myself.