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What's in a name? CFOP or Fridrich?

Godmil

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Recently I've seen lots of comments that we shouldn't call CFOP the Fridrich Method because Jessica Fridrich didn't invent it. But I've not seen anything to support that other than a small unresearched fragment from a wiki page. I was under the impression that she had independently invented the method that grouped the solve into the four steps "Cross - F2L - OLL - PLL". If I'm wrong I'd love to know how, and if anyone has any links or information about the development of CFOP/Fridrich then it would be great if they could be mentioned here so that maybe the wiki could be clarified.

Here is my understanding of the development of Fridrich's method. Fridrich learned a beginners method which started with the Cross (originated by David Singmaster), which had a multi stage orientation section on the last layer. I can't find the source, but I'm sure I read that a friend showed Fridrich how nice the 'Easy T' was, because using the standard FRUR'U'F' it would orient the whole layer, Which gave Fridrich the idea of doing all the Orientation in one alg every time (OLL). I'm not sure what Permutation method Fridrich learned but I can easily imagine doing PLL in one alg being a logical extension of the OLL idea.
I've heard that Fridrich didn't use full F2L as we know it now at the '82 world championships. Also it may have been someone there that showed Fridrich a nicer way of doing it.

It seems to be well known that Hans Dockhorn and Anneke Treep also came up with OLL/PLL in the early 80's, but I'm not sure what method they used for the first two layers.

I've not heard of anyone before Fridrich using the structure Cross - F2L - OLL - PLL, also it seems to be the case that Fridrich independently invented OLL/PLL (that is to say other people may have also done it, but they didn't influence Fridrich).

Given that information I see no qualms with calling it the Fridrich Method. But other people do, so I'm curious what I could have gotten wrong, or what other information there is on the subject?

-----------------

Updated info.
Ok from this page by Fridrich.

Fridrich originally learned a Layer by Layer method that went: First layer, Second layer edges, EO, EP, CO, CP

And on developing the method:
...He once noted while I was solving the cube pointing to my cube: "Oh, I like this "T" pattern, because when you turn the edges, the whole last layer will actually flip correctly." It was the shortest 6-move that influences only the last layer - the move that perhaps all cubers know. And that sentence stuck in my mind. It was the germ that later blossomed into the current system. I realized that in the system I was using it was possible to first flip the edges, then the corners, then position edges and position corners. This is because the moves commuted. So, what if I had an algorithm for all flipping patterns and all permutations? Then I could solve the last layer always in just two algorithms.

So it would seem that Fridrich did independently invent OLL/PLL as a two stage method.

Also from this quote, it suggests Fridrich was either using a basic version of F2L, or not all of the F2L algs were published (I'd guess at the former):
I decided to publish my system in Mlady Svet. It contained all algorithms for permutations and orientations and a few moves for the F2L.

That'll teach me for not reading ahead:
Later in 1982, I changed my F2L system to the current system. Before, I would do the first layer and then insert two cubies from the last layer into the middle layer. I developed the algorithms and also algorithms that moved / flipped the cubies in the middle layer.

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Holy **** a message board archive from 1980!
http://www.math.rwth-aachen.de/~Martin.Schoenert/Cube-Lovers/

Will take a while to read through it, but that looks like it could be handy for some cubing history.

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According to this old thread.
Guus Razoux Schultz says that he taught Fridrich some of Rene Schoof's F2L method. Also that the 'Treep-Dockhorn method' did have Cross + 4 pairs + OLL + PLL, and was published in early 81 (supposedly before Fridrich). But I'm not sure where those quotes came from.

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This page by Singmaster, confirms that at the 82 championships Fridrich was using a Layer by Layer approach, while Razoux Schultz was seemingly the only one doing real F2L Pairs.
 
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hic0057

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The main reason why it is called the Fridrich Method is because she was the first to publish it on the internet being a brilliant resource to the earlier online cubers. I'm pretty sure that many other cubers were using very similar methods to this in the early 80s.
 

Kirjava

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Your historical facts are correct, as far as I can see. She did indeed learn F2L in the 1982 world champs.

There's nothing that says that the name of the method has to be the person who invented it. Methods have been named after/by their developers or documentors before. MGLS or Cage, for example.

Calling it "The Fridrich Method" is not incorrect because that is what we call it.

I think CFOP is a better name, but call it whatever makes you happy.
 

Godmil

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I think CFOP is a better name, but call it whatever makes you happy.

Cool, I'm not too bothered about what I call it, but I'm confused as to why some people are militant about it not being called the Fridrich Method.
As far as I'm concerned Fridrich and CFOP are both equally good names, and can be used interchangeably.
 

collinbxyz

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Pretty interesting actually. I have only been cubing for a year, so don't know much of this stuff :)

I call it CFOP since it's easier to type, and simpler for new cubers to learn, if you know what I mean. But I don't care what others say...
 

Erik

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CFOP is the best name since it leaves the question of the inventor undiscussed.
Like Guus said before (and to me personally too) IF the method would have the name of the inventor probably Treep-Dockhorn or Schoof method.

@timelonade: Friedrich? Who's that? ..
 

Selkie

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Interesting histroy Godmill, thanks for posting it. I was aware of some parts of this through my own reading but certainly had not gone to the depths that you have.

Personally for me I used to call it the Fridrich method before I learned it, when I used to solve years ago and always wanted to learn it above the beginner method I had used for decades. When I did learn it and with the general consensus in the community I started referring to it as CFOP. Interesting to note if a non cuber asks me what method I use I will usually say Fridrich rather than confuse them with acronyms.
 

Thompson

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I always love to learn more about the history of cubing, thanks a lot for the info!
I've always called it the Fridrich method and am never going to call it something else. Her name should never be forgotten in the cubing community
 

gogozerg

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And who invented the name "CFOP" ?

I never liked it. FOP is fine, or CPOP (Cross/Pairs/OLL/PLL).
It's useless to make a cross if the first 2 layers are solved in the next step.

Hum, okay, "F" could mean "first 2 layers corner-edge pairs".
But still, "CF" sounds too much like "corners first" !
 

adragast

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Nice to get some history of this method. I really don't like the name CFOP because CF is corners first and it might be confusing for beginners (is CF a shortcut for CFOP ? is CFOP a corners first method ?? What would you call a corners first method that orient edges and then permute edges ?).

Also, agree with gogozerg and Kirjava about F2L (never know if this includes the cross or not).
 

choza244

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I prefer the "Fridrich" name better and I agree with Godmil when he says that there are people that are militant about that name being wrong, just call it like you want and let the others call it like they want.
 
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I prefer saying the name of the method, then the name of the person who popularized it. That's just me.
I'd prefer using the names of the actual creators, if I HAD to use someone's name.
 
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