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BH Tutorial

You're trying to learn commutators too mechanically.
Just learn how they work.
If you can't insert it in 3 moves, then use 4. Whats the big deal?
 
I think you mixed up your Us, but that's the right idea.



Sounds right to me. Also, you can do the 9-movers too; all of those commutators labeled A9 are, as far as I know, 8 move commutators with setup moves (with one of the setups cancelling).


...Yeah, but you don't need to worry about that. If you focus on one face of the piece, the entire thing will be solved.

You sure I messed them up? Just setup the case right now and it worked. Ok I think I got it now..anyone care to test me out with a random cycle?

Weston, I'm only focusing on 8 move commutators, like I'll use an alg to setup the case and I'll try to solve that.
And to the mechanical approach comment. It's how I learn. I'm quite attrotious at intuitive crap.

Edit-It'll become intuitive in time. I just need to learn..the rules per say of commutators and then it'll click for me.
 
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Some practice ideas:
- stickers (as in FMC), this way it is much easier to track the pieces in your cycle
- Hit a solved cube with a few Old Pochmann moves to set up three cycles (so you are not influenced by your set-up-moves)

I found byu's very first example very helpfull; he went straight to a BABA instead of ABAB getting the idea across right away.
 
How do you know by looking at the cycle if it is a 8 move commutator or, for example, an A9? I'm assuming you know if it's an A9 if the cycle has no 3 move insertion and you need to do a setup move.

For the smaller cases that take 11/12 moves (18 and 6 cases respectably) should I just learn the algs and drill it or still learn it intuitively?
 
The general rules for cases are explained in the tutorial (eg if all corners are opposite non-adjacent = orthogonal) and you'll learn to recognise them quickly through lots of practice.

I would suggest you learn cyclic shift as just one basic alg (F R' U2 R F' R' F U2 F' R). It's the same for all cyclic shift cases
 
I didn't see the rules intially. THanks. I hadn't gotten that far down into the Orthogonals section

Take this rule.
An A9 can be used when you have two interchangeable pieces, but either there's a piece already in that layer, or there is no 3-move insertion
I understand the last rule obviously, but this is..vague in the way he worded it.

I understand orthogonals now, the 3 pieces are not interchangeable, and need any quarter turn to setup a pure. And they are all opposites (from the buffer, the other two must need a turn such as R2, or L2, etc. No quarter turns, yes? Half turns.

I don't understand cyclic shifts at all, but would I just rotate, put the middle piece in the UBF place, do the alg, and undo rotations? I assume I'll understand the nature of the alg later.

For columns, do you recommend setting it up to A9? (</3 A9's) or setting it up to cyclic shifts (fingertrick friendly)? Your opinions on this?

Per specials are .. every corner is interchangeable..they look hard. I think I'll just learn the 6 algs and know which alg to apply where. Not the smartest move probably but whatever.
 
Screw intuition behind cyclic shifts and per specials. They are both 1 alg each. Just learn the alg.

Cyclic shift, move-optimal is crappy, here's a speed-optimal: x' U2 R' U2 R' D R U2 R' D' R2 U2, that's just setup to A9.
Per Special, this is pretty crappy but I haven't found a good speed-optimal alg: R' U2 L U2 R U2 R' U2 L' U2 R U2, just rotate to this position (or mirror) and do this or inverse.

For columns NEVER setup to a cyclic shift, they are the worst case. A9s are more fingertrick friendly than cyclic shifts. If your A9s are crap you're doing them wrong.

EDIT: cyclic shifts aren't the worst case, they are the second worst. Per specials are the worst.
 
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Screw intuition behind cyclic shifts and per specials. They are both 1 alg each. Just learn the alg.

Cyclic shift, move-optimal is crappy, here's a speed-optimal: x' U2 R' U2 R' D R U2 R' D' R2 U2, that's just setup to A9.
What do you mean it sets it up to A9? That alg solves cyclic shift yes? Setting it up by doing that alg backwards, it looks like it..

Per Special, this is pretty crappy but I haven't found a good speed-optimal alg: R' U2 L U2 R U2 R' U2 L' U2 R U2, just rotate to this position (or mirror) and do this or inverse.
I'd rather move optimal but I suppose yours will do for now. Thank you.
For columns NEVER setup to a cyclic shift, they are the worst case. A9s are more fingertrick friendly than cyclic shifts. If your A9s are crap you're doing them wrong.

EDIT: cyclic shifts aren't the worst case, they are the second worst. Per specials are the worst.
My A9's aren't bad. I haven't practiced them yet nor attempted them to be bad :p.
 
What do you mean it sets it up to A9? That alg solves cyclic shift yes? Setting it up by doing that alg backwards, it looks like it..
Remove the U2 from the start and end and you've got an A9 (R'U2R' D RU2R' D' R2 which does UBR->DLF->BUL)

I'd rather move optimal but I suppose yours will do for now. Thank you.
That per special is optimal, and is given in Byu's tutorial. Move-optimal isn't important.
 
This commutator D R' D' R U R' D R U' D'

UFR URB FLD

Is this an A9? From what I've heard A9s are pure 8 move commutators with setup moves and a cancellation at the end resulting in a 9 move algorithm.

But the above commutator is 10 moves,what is it if its not an A9 ?
 
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A 10 move commutator like that is an orthogonal. Whether or not that's optimal, I don't really care to check, but orthogonals work that way.
 
This commutator D R' D' R U R' D R U' D'

UFR URB FLD

Is this an A9? From what I've heard A9s are pure 8 move commutators with setup moves resulting in a 9 move algorithm.

But the above commutator is 10 moves,what is it if its not an A9 ?
That is an 8 move commutator, U' R D2 R' U R D2 R' (compact form is [U', R D2 R'])
 
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