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3x3 Notation (Extended)

Scott

Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2006
Messages
207
Location
Glastonbury CT, USA
Ok, time to go more in depth on 3x3 notation.

Example Algorithm: (F U' F') y (R U R')

Hmmm, now what could those ()'s mean. Well i'll tell you... Those are finger tricks

Any set of turns wrapped in () or [] tags mean it is to be done in one motion.

For example, the algorithm above (for most right handers) would be performed like this.

Right forfinger on the FLU corner, right thumb on the FDL corner. Perform the F turn, flick the U' turn with your thumb, and then complete the F' turn. Perform the y rotation. Now grip with the right forfinger on the FRU corner, and the right thumb on the RD edge. Perform the R turn, flick the U with your right forfinger, and finish the algorithm with the R' turn.

Finger tricks can be very complex, but you should be able to read them faily easy.

For example, if the algorithm consists of upper face turns surrounded by middle face turns, they are probably telling you to perform the upper face turn with either your forfinger or thumb. Where as if the bottom face is surrounded by middle face turns, they probably want you to use your ring finger.

Hope this helps.
 

Joël

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Mar 14, 2006
Messages
633
Location
3rd rock from the sun
WCA
2004NOOR01
Hi Scott,

Sometimes, the ()'s are also used to clarify the structure of an algorithms. For commutators for example, one might take P = RUR', Q = D.

Then [P, Q] = PQP'Q' = (RUR') D (RU'R') D'

- Jo?l.
 

dougreed

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Mar 17, 2006
Messages
287
Location
Austin, TX
Of course, you also have (lazy) people like me who would rather use multiplication than write out algs. This also applies to FMC scrambles. Take the F2L case where the edge is in place and oriented correctly and the corner piece is in the U layer with the D color facing up.

One common alg for this case is written as follows:

(R U R' U') * 3

which of course, is equivalent to saying R U R' U' R U R' U' R U R' U'.

-Doug
 

Joël

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Joined
Mar 14, 2006
Messages
633
Location
3rd rock from the sun
WCA
2004NOOR01
Originally posted by Scott@Mar 19 2006, 05:10 PM
Oh, thank you for adding that. I havn't learned about commutators yet.
Whaha.. Yes Scott.. I can highly recommend learning something about them. You know where to find them, on my site ;). (being a fan of commutators, I can't resist promoting them).

Commutators aren't very usefull in normal speedcubing, but they are useful for FMC, BLD cubing. Or sometimes, when I mess up an alg on the 4x4 or 5x5, commutators can help me with getting the centers back, without destroying the work I did for the edges :D.

- Jo?l.
 

dougreed

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Joined
Mar 17, 2006
Messages
287
Location
Austin, TX
Originally posted by Jo?l@Mar 19 2006, 09:08 PM
Commutators aren't very usefull in normal speedcubing
I wouldn't go as far as to say that :)

A few of my fastest PLL algs are commutators with redundant moves cancelled out.

(R U' R') D (R U R') D2 (L' U L) D (L' U' L)
== (R U' R') (D) (R U' R')' (D)'
(D') (L' U L) (D')' (L' U' L)
which is just two commutators with cancelling moves: [A,B] [C,D]

(R F R') B2 (R F' R') B2 R2
== [R2] (R F R') (B2) (R F R')' (B2)' [R2]'
which is a conjugate + commutator of the form C [A,B] C'

Also, Per is very fast on the larger cubes, and his solution is mostly just commutators. Just something to think about!

-Doug
 

Scott

Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2006
Messages
207
Location
Glastonbury CT, USA
Originally posted by dougreed@Mar 19 2006, 03:14 PM
Of course, you also have (lazy) people like me who would rather use multiplication than write out algs. This also applies to FMC scrambles. Take the F2L case where the edge is in place and oriented correctly and the corner piece is in the U layer with the D color facing up.

One common alg for this case is written as follows:

(R U R' U') * 3

which of course, is equivalent to saying R U R' U' R U R' U' R U R' U'.

-Doug
Haha, i LOVE when that algorithm comes up. It's so fast and smooth, and it really looks impressive for non-cubers.
 
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