Cubing involves maths?

[PuduMaster]

I was just wondering if solving a rubiks cube involves any maths. Everyone says that you have to be super smart at maths to solve it but all you have to do is memorize a few algorithms.
I personally didnt get any smarter at maths since i started cubing. :tu

 

[Olji]

solving a rubik's cube does not involve maths, I think some may think so because of the word "algorithm", but when going deeper into the puzzle theory it will probably involve maths, like finding out how many permutations a specific cube can have etc.

 

[wontolla]

Solving the Rubik's cube does not necesarily involves maths. As you said, you can just memorize a few algorithms.

But one thing is solving it and quite another is understanding it and/or understanding how algorithms and methods work.

Although understanding the Rubik's cube doesn't require previous maths knowledge, you still can learn some interesting math concepts involved with the Rubik's cube, in group theory etc.

There is plenty of information about the relationship between the Rubik's cube and maths, for example http://www.ryanheise.com/cube/theory.html

 

[Stefan]

Everyone says that you have to be super smart at maths to solve it

Liar.

 

[Zane_C]

I was just wondering if solving a rubiks cube involves any maths. Non cubing nubs that have absolutely no idea what their talking about say that you have to be super smart at maths to solve it but all you have to do is memorize a few algorithms.

I never do this, but fixed.

 

[chicken9290]

There is no need to be smart but once you get in to deeper cube studies math is needed to understand certain theories

 

[4.]

Rubiks Cubes are PURE MATH.

 

[splinteh]

Rubiks Cubes are PURE MATH.

Okay, explain

 

[TheMachanga]

You just have to be determined enough to pay attention to the tutorial you're watching (or reading). I watched half of a tutorial without taking it seriously and thought it was rubbish. Then I actually needed to solve it, so I simply paid attention and solved it.

 

[Tyjet66]

He meant to say "PURE METH", see, he's a junkie...

 

[maggot]

Liar.

i actually hear this statement a lot. maybe because asians stereotypically excel in math and science and because all asians can solve rubik's cubes. DUH.

and because of erno's ties with math. .

 

[4.]

Okay, explain

I can't, I'm not good at english so I don't know how to explain it but I think it's pretty obvious.

 

[tx789]

your do need a good memory for the solution with a lot of algs

 

[Stefan]

i actually hear this statement a lot.

a lot ≠ everyone

 

[maggot]

a lot ≠ everyone

ok, everyone but you then =(

 

[Lux Aeterna]

No, being able to solve a cube requires no mathematical aptitude whatsoever. It just takes a modest amount of memorizing sequences of actions. Even developing your own entirely intuitive solving method doesn't require "mathematics", per se, just a lot of pattern recognition, cleverness, and a bit of intuition. To be fair, that sort of activity is more like doing mathematics than it is any other academic subject, but that's not because puzzles require math, it's because math is full of doing puzzles.

The reason you hear people say this is that the sorts of people who are attracted to mathematics and the sorts of people who are attracted to puzzles overlap pretty heavily. And anyone can do either of those things if they try. Being interested in both = trying in both = succeeding in both = bystanders saying "oh look another math guy with a cube". That's all.

 

[hawkmp4]

ok, everyone but you then =(

Not quite.

 

[MichaelP.]

a lot ≠ everyone

What's the point of posting something just to assert yourself in the conversation? Do you just dislike exaggerations?

 

[Cubenovice]

My 5 year old daughter can solve the cube without having any notions about maths.

This proves that, at least for one person, cubing has nothing to do with maths...

 

[hawkmp4]

Solving a cube has plenty to do with math, but you don't need to know math to solve it. Whether you know group theory or not doesn't affect whether it governs the mechanics of the cube.