How I devised my own Rubik's Cube method in 1980

[Christopher Mowla]

Thanks for sharing your method.

The algorithm you created to flip the two edges at the end is a commutator indeed:
B E B2 E2 B U2 B' E2 B2 E' B' U2 = [B E B2 E2 B, U2].

I enjoyed how you explained your thought process regarding the trial and error you did to slowly develop each stage of your method as well.

This mental process reminds me of a "derivation" I came up with of the Nikolas commutator, which I show in one of my solving guides that variations of which can twist corners and flip edges in addition to cycling them.

 

[qqwref]

Did an example solve to see how it worked out. It's better than most LBL solves, efficiency-wise, and very similar to Waterman (far more so than it is to Roux).

From this example solve it's very similar to Waterman. Waterman is a lot more formalized in the later stages, with lots of algs and a better M layer, but it does have a lot of U2 M2 [thing] M2 U2 algs.

 

[Kit Clement]

It's funny that this got posted recently, as some of us went to visit Jeff Varasano (WR holder in 1981, US Nationals Runner-Up to Minh Thai) in his Atlanta restaurant after Peach State 2015, and the method he developed in 1980 is incredibly reminiscent of this, at least the finish. His start was just doing the "Ortega" method to get all of the corners -- I use quotes because it should really be called the Varasano method! -- then solved edges on opposite layers to get to the same last four edges in the middle layer as you.

 

[JustinTimeCuber]

Last layer corners=cmll and beginning of second block

doesn't CMLL sometimes break up the DF and DB edges? I don't know too much about CMLL.
Edit: I guess you could say it is comparable to CMLL if you are comparing it to Roux.

 

[PenguinsDontFly]

doesn't CMLL sometimes break up the DF and DB edges? I don't know too much about CMLL.
Edit: I guess you could say it is comparable to CMLL if you are comparing it to Roux.

Just the idea of solving corners in general. (and yes, it does break DF DB sometimes).

 

[AlexMaass]

It's funny that this got posted recently, as some of us went to visit Jeff Varasano (WR holder in 1981, US Nationals Runner-Up to Minh Thai) in his Atlanta restaurant after Peach State 2015, and the method he developed in 1980 is incredibly reminiscent of this, at least the finish. His start was just doing the "Ortega" method to get all of the corners -- I use quotes because it should really be called the Varasano method! -- then solved edges on opposite layers to get to the same last four edges in the middle layer as you.

That's cool, how fast is he nowadays?

 

[Torch]

That's cool, how fast is he nowadays?

I saw him get a 23.

 

[stoic]

Really interesting video!
Thanks for posting.

 

[2180161]

So, its basically an intuitive approach of Waterman.

 

[Logiqx]

Thanks for sharing Tony, it was an interesting video. Well done on working the cube out for yourself, I didn't have the patience to figure it out when I was a kid back in the 80's!

Like others have said the method is akin to the Waterman method but without all of the algorithms. The Waterman method was an inspiration for Roux but your method definitely resembles the steps of Waterman.

Mark Waterman came up with his method using similar logic to your own. The history of his method can be found online and he highlights three principles that you also described in your video:

http://rubikscube.info/waterman/index.php

First: I found the corners of the U-face difficult to solve, so I decided that you have more freedom if you can neglect the M-ring.

Second: If you take out one corner from the D-face and put it back in an other way, something will change. So I found one process to solve the U- corners using only this! (I turned the whole cube, so that D becomes L)

Third: I found out that, after turning U2 R2, you have a lot of freedom to move edges.

 

[Tony Fisher]

Since people seemed to like the video I have now done one explaining how I dealt with parity on the 4x4x4. Once again this is more of an insight into the logic of creating solutions (not a speedcubing one) and not an actual tutorial. I added it here because it doesn't really warrant starting a new thread.