Solving a Rubik's Cube: Tips & Tricks

[BobG]

I got bored with that 3x3x3, so I bought a 4x4x4 called a Rubik's revenge. After that I bought a Rubik's Professor that's a 5x5x5. I was never able to do the regular one in 45 secs, it takes me around 3 min. It takes me around 15 min to do the 4x4x4 and 30 min to do the 5x5x5. No one ever taught me how to do them, I figured them out on my own. I guess that's why it takes me so long to do it, I put one or two pieces in at a time without algorithms. It maybe hard to believe, but with the proper algorithms you are never more than 10 moves from solving the cube.

Why keep going bigger? You really need to try more dimensions, instead.

Here's a four-dimensional cube created in Java: Magic Cube 4D. Only 58 people have ever solved it.

After that, you can go for the 5-dimensional cube: Magic Cube 5D Seven people have solved this one.

Of course, the most challenging is trying to set the record for most cubes solved underwater with a single breath. Underwater record The record is 6 cubes. Second place is 4 cubes.

This quote from someone who solve 2 cubes, plus a 2x2 cube "My best friend and I would see who could swim the farthest and hold their breath the longest on the swim team. I never thought it would come in handy." He thinks he could solve 3 cubes, but could only procure 2 - don't they have telethons to help people like this? (help them obtain another cube, I mean).

Another quote from another underwater solver: "This was done in a jacuzzi...it got pretty hot down there. The air bubbles were hard to see past too. I had to stop after a few solves because I got dizzy, I wouldn't suggest jacuzzi solving."

Edit: I'm having second thoughts about having posted this. Traffic on PF will go way down, sending the value of the PF website down into the six-figure range for sure. Greg's going to have me banned.

 

[edward]

Here is a simpler version.

http://www.wrongway.org/cube/solve.html

 

[hover]

Hey everyone! So happy for the help you gave me. I can do a rubiks cube in about 2 to 3 minutes now(not very fast compared to other but anyway). I have a new question now. How can someone solve a rubiks cube blindfolded and could i do it?

Thanks

 

[light_bulb]

"Edit: I'm having second thoughts about having posted this. Traffic on PF will go way down, sending the value of the PF website down into the six-figure range for sure. Greg's going to have me banned."

 

[tiny-tim]

free 3D program

Ah, always check the wiki. They even have a textbook on it!

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_to_solve_the_Rubik's_Cube

There's a free 3D program (runs under Mac OS 10.2.4+ and Windows) downloadable from Tom Davis's http://www.geometer.org/rubik/index.html" which allows you to rotate a Rubik's cube yourself, or which solves any configuration you set up.

 

[hover]

Ah yes I remember this thread. Interesting to see how many views its gotten and how much I have improved solving since.

 

[Monocerotis]

http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=95473

if you have the time, read through it and you'll be able to solve a rubik's cube.

Then all you need to do is get down on your luck and have your wife leave you and be all alone with your 2 year old son and pursue a career in banking/investment and end up in the car of a man who's hiring and solve the cube by the time the cab takes him to his home thereby impressing him so much he'll offer you an opportunity to be hired.

Also, you need to be will smith.

 

[ideasrule]

A few months ago, I decided to try solving a rubik's cube without reading about any algorithms from the net. I spent 30 minutes doing what Euclid did: identifying axioms & building on them. I got some helpful conclusions, but unfortunately got bored and didn't bother continuing.

If anybody here can honestly say they've no idea how to solve a cube but manages to come up with a way, tell me and I'll acknowledge you as a genius. :)

 

[hover]

A few months ago, I decided to try solving a rubik's cube without reading about any algorithms from the net. I spent 30 minutes doing what Euclid did: identifying axioms & building on them. I got some helpful conclusions, but unfortunately got bored and didn't bother continuing.

If anybody here can honestly say they've no idea how to solve a cube but manages to come up with a way, tell me and I'll acknowledge you as a genius. :)

Naw it really doesn't take any smarts to learn how to solve a rubik's cube. Somebody just needs to teach you how to do it and if your patient and listen you will learn. You can always try youtube. Some great videos there.

Leave genius for the people who have solved fundamental problems in physics.

*cough* Einstein *cough* :P

 

[bat Dancho]

I have a solution for 2x2 and 3x3 cubes, which I figured out myself. Memorizing somebody else solution is no use, no fun. Here is how it works. I am not a mathematician physicist, just el enginer, so my explanation may sound moronic , but it is unic in its way because it take smallest amount of memorization ( but the most time to solve). I will not get in details , but in generally it is like this. The top layers always is just common sense. If you get 2x2 the moves which really twist the gut of the cube and change something is the the move to get down one of the top corners one way and get it back up the other way. in formulas this mean L-, D-, L+ , back is F+,D+,F- . This moves again gets a corner form top puts it down and gets it back up, so the top side is same but it has efect on bottom. Efect is 2 corners in from swap places one stays and one is rotated 120 degree. With this knowlegde there is no configutation that you cannot put bottom corners in positions. If this procedure is made 2 times it will keep the bottom corners in position but turn 3 of them 120 degree, made 4 times will do 240 degree. Basicly there is no situation that with apropriate orientation execution this procedure needed times to solve 2x2. The 3x3 is done with same principle. when the "corner up-down" is made ip places mid level edges from 3 level to second ( actually what I am talking is a very popular formula for solving second layer, but use it over and over...)when this formula is used get down egde from second layer to 3-layer it has effect on swapping bottom edges , positioning bottom corners and finally rotating corners 120/240 gedree... It is bit time consuming but I believe it is the solution with least memorization . Any comments I will appreciate.

 

[╔(σ_σ)╝]

I average just over a minute (my cube sucks)

Best time : 47secs ( on a really good day. )

I use a modified beginners method. I developed a few of my own algorithms which took my time from 2mins 30secs to 1min 10 secs.

I am trying to learn the CFOP (Cross - F2L - OLL - PLL) system.

 

[bat Dancho]

Just for the clarity of my last message I feel I need to spell it out. The only formula which one have to know for 2x2x2 cube is R-D+R+D+F+D-F- This formula executed once swaps 2 front corners on bottom layer ( down side) and keeps back corners in same position , one of the back corners ( left back) is rotated 120 degree. When executed twice in sequence it rotates 3 corners 120 degree ( because it swaps back the 2 front corners). The right back corner is intact again. This is all you need for 2x2x2. For the 3x3x3 cube this formula is just illustration of the idea. If D+ ( so the D-) are doubbled it modifies the effect of the formula over the bottom layer , but no effect on 2 layer and 1 layer . All you need for 3x3x3 cube is 3 formulas for the bottom layer ( the doubbling modifications give you all 4 formulas) . This set of formulas is complete. It takes around 2 minutes to solve a 3x3x3 cube, but this method has the smallest count of formulas. As I know for speed solving you have set of 50+ formulas which gets your bottom side from any possible combination directly to solved state. This method is the complete opposite slowest but less memory involved ( as in PCs computational power is achieved trough speed or memory...)
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Cube sides Up, Down, Right, Left, Front, Back, where R- is Right side counterclockwise , D+ is Down side clockwise,

 

[bat Dancho]

One more. This same method works for what I call pentacube or megaminx. This is figure which have 12 facets , which are pentagons. It is quite more complicated with around 7-8 formulas involved, but in principle is the same. It is solved in layers again. The layesr besides the very bottom are just common sense ... for the last the above method works. Time it takes ? Time to develop the formulas 1 week . Time to solve 1 hour. ha-ha-ha! Good luck!

This is the pentacube / megaminx

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003631BOM/?tag=pfamazon01-20

 

[mugaliens]

My best time was back when I was a freshman in college. About 1m 50s. Never did figure out how to solve it myself, so I bought a solutions book and memorized the steps.