So I bought a cube and I solved it. At times I was tempted to read the
little booklet or look online for clues but, ultimately, I wanted to prove
that I could do it unassisted. 6 years ago I had a cube and I learned the supplied solution. Fortunately, since that time I had completely forgotten how to solve it. All I could remember was that the solution suggested solving in layers and that the last layer was a real bitch.
Things I did right:
- I
devised a simple system of notation. This was the first thing I did
and the thing that paid off the most. I drew a diagram of a cube and
labeled each possible rotational layer: ABC across the top left, DEF
across the top right and GHI down the side. Basically, I started playing with
and recording simple patterns that returned most of the blocks back to
their original positions.
An example of such a pattern is: 2G, 3A, 3G, 1A. The number indicates how many 90
degree twists to give that layer – 4 twists would turn it all the
way around and do effectively nothing, 3 twists is the same as twisting
it backward -1. I soon
discovered that the only important layers to twist were A, F and G. I experimented a little with H, but was unable to find anything promising.
- I
developed a visual key. I
honed this over the course of my 3-4 weeks or so of solving. Initially, I would draw a tiny
cube and place a tiny circle at each location where a block changed, and
draw arcing arrows between them to show the direction of movement. I soon began coloring in black
those blocks that rotated their facing as well. Later, I was adding a little
number to indicate if the rotation was 1 spot clockwise or 2 (this was
only for corner blocks which have 3 faces). I also began to draw the results
of combo patterns that diagramed combinations of, or repetitions of, the
simpler patterns. These
combinations ultimately proved to be essential to finding a solution.
Things I did wrong:
- I
Wasted time trying to get results with limited ‘tools’. Because I did not know the scope
of the project, I would all too often stop my research and attempt to
complete the cube with the limited number of patterns that I had
documented. In some ways
this was useful because it led me to understand very clearly the problem
of position vs. facing – blocks may be in the right place but be
facing in the wrong direction.
Eventually I got to the point where I could theoretically solve
the puzzle, but the few useful patterns I had were much too long and I
invariably made some wrong twist along the way and had to start
over. I wasted a lot of time
before I gave up and returned to researching more patterns.
- I
wasted time redrawing my charts.
I started work in a notebook, but the many tiny diagrams became a
jumble so I painstakingly organized and drew them out on a large sheet of
paper. I later reorganized
them and inserted new patterns and I had to redraw the whole sheet. Eventually I decided it would
have been best to put each pattern on a ‘flash card’ of
sorts so that I could experimentally rearrange them and view any two, immediately,
against each other.
- I
was unable to find a simple, corner-spinning pattern (when
3F3G1F2G3A3G1A x15 is your best option, you’re in trouble). I had a big problem with
determining the order of the following 4 necessary actions to completing
the third and final layer: place sides, place corners, spin corners, spin
sides (spinning refers to re-facing the blocks). I finally decided on the previous
order when I discovered a moderately simple pattern that allowed me to
spin the sides without disturbing any other blocks. I gave myself no real direction
in solving this order and only in retrospect (and a second attempt at
repeating the solution of the cube) have I realized that my biggest
problem may have been solved by committing further research to finding
simpler patterns for spinning the corners.
In the end, I learned a lot about the cube.
- I
don’t think there is a person alive who could pick up a cube and figure out how to solve it without writing anything down – the memory required would
be excruciating.
- In
order to solve a Rubik’s cube one must be able to draw lots of
very clean little cube diagrams.
- People
who speed-solve the cube are split into 3 categories:
§
Idiots who think they are clever because they
memorized the patterns in the booklet and realize that most people will
assume that they are brilliant
§
Nutcases who solve the cube on their own, then
optimize the solution and then, rather than cast the cube away, absolutely
sick of it, they memorize the patterns because they realize this is the only
way they will get any credit for all of their hard work
§
Brilliant savants who memorize such a plethora
of alternate strategies and are able to implement them in such immediate
circumstances that they must have a brilliant understanding of the cube. These are the people that can solve a
cube from any orientation in under 60 seconds. Wow.
- Erno
Rubik himself took nearly an entire month of concentrated effort to
solve the cube for the first time.
I kicked his ass.
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