"How to Solve a Rubik's cube for MIT graduates"

[ZamHalen]

Intuitive ELL?

 

[irontwig]

Intuitive ELL?

Yes? No? What!?

 

[cmhardw]

I'm thinking of putting together a "How to Solve a Rubik's cube for MIT graduates" video. Basically, it will be a fast paced video that will go over a completely algorithm-free method of solving the cube. Since people sometimes complain to me about how lame it is that you have to learn algorithms, and that there is no intelligence to solving it. Well, I can show them how to solve it completely intuitively, and make them feel dumb in the process, even as I try to make perfect sense.

If the goal is to make the video a wake-up call for those who view algorithmic methods as "lame", then I would name the video "A Beginner's Guide to Solving the Rubik's Cube intuitively" or something like that. Or perhaps "A simple, no-algorithm way to solve Rubik's Cube". That would work to drive home the point even more

If the idea is to really just do a no-algorithm video that beginner's may actually use then I would go with Joël's commutator last layer method. It's absolutely amazing for both ease of teaching and ease of learning for the student. It's also the kind of method that they won't forget, since they understand how they're moving pieces around at the end, and aren't just using memorized algs.

Cool idea by the way!

 

[Godmil]

If the idea is to really just do a no-algorithm video that beginner's may actually use then I would go with Joël's commutator last layer method.

I'm forgetting, did you say you taught that method to tons of people (quite quickly) and they managed to remember it months afterwards? If so, then that seems to be proof by example that it would be a good method for this video.

 

[cmhardw]

I'm forgetting, did you say you taught that method to tons of people (quite quickly) and they managed to remember it months afterwards? If so, then that seems to be proof by example that it would be a good method for this video.

Yes, this is the LL method I taught in the puzzle workshops I used to run at the track-out camps my old job held. It works very well for younger kids, so I imagine it would work well for all age groups as well.

 

[Marcell]

The method I taught my father to solve the cube without learning algs was: Petrus-style 2x2x3 block, orient edges, finish F2L without a pair, permute last five edges, solve corners with commutators. No algs to forget, he's been happy with it ever since.

 

[qqwref]

Actually, for corners, it might be easiest to teach a simplified version of Guimond. Steps 0/1 can be taught intuitively with a few tricks (like RU'R' and RUR'); separation is already intuitive; and permutation can be done with only J/N (with the algorithm being thought of not as an algorithm per se but as either (a) a way to swap two pieces on the bottom layer and not affect orientation/separation, or (b) a 4-move setup to a nice R2 move).

 

[Kenneth]

Solving L4C after the rest is compleated is easy using two variations of Niklas (a com), first cycle to correct positions, then cycle a + b' to orient them two by two.

Example:
Scramble : R' U2 B L' B' L U2 R B U2 B2 U2 B

Place one : R U' L' U R' U' L U
Place the rest : (y') R' U L U' R U L' U'

Orient : (y x') L' U' R U L U' R' U ... (x) L U' R' U L' U' R U

If you look at this as algs there are 2, one having a mirror/inverse and the other both inverse and mirrors.

--------
First LL-corner method I found, back in 1981, it is hell when you get a 4-twist, 32 moves

My first method was to solve the corners before the edges and then I did them in the same way, permute - orient (CP, CO, EP, EO is the worst way to solve LL). Later I found it was much easier to do edges first, the 6-mover for orientation and Sune for permutation. Worst possible LL was 2x EO, 2x EP, 2x CP and 4x CO, 10 algs in total, 74 moves (later I improved CO by using Sune, 28 moves at the most and eventually I found what I thought was a short alg for 4-twist, 24 moves =)

 

[oll+phase+sync]

Whats about teaching agls wich don't feel like algs:

(M'U )x4 L (M'U)x4 L' to orient Edges

R'D2R U R'D2R U R'D2R U2 R'D2R to cycle Corners

M'D2M U M'D2M U M'D2M U2 M'D2M to cycle Edges ... when demonstrated on a nearly solved Cube it is easily seen why to use U2 the third time

SExy move to orient Corners

Since most of them are Comutators even that aspect could be worked out.

 

[Lucas Garron]

If the idea is to really just do a no-algorithm video that beginner's may actually use then I would go with Joël's commutator last layer method. It's absolutely amazing for both ease of teaching and ease of learning for the student. It's also the kind of method that they won't forget, since they understand how they're moving pieces around at the end, and aren't just using memorized algs.

Cool idea by the way!

Haven't read the rest of this thread thoroughly, but note that moste people, especially the target audience, has a different understanding of "algorithm." If you show them a sequence of steps, no matter intuitive or low-memorization, that's an algorithm in the traditional sense. Even "just keep applying commutators" or the Bob Burton method for pyraminx is an algorithm. I get the feeling that some academics would still object no matter what, though.

 

[reThinking the Cube]

Simple - just explain how to build a robot that can peel off the stickers and put them back on solved.

 

[diep]

Simple - just explain how to build a robot that can peel off the stickers and put them back on solved.

When i saw this thread name i also had to laugh loud yeah - i bet solving it for MiT involves using a supercomputer

 

[300SpartanX]

id use cross-keyholeF2L-Orient edges-somehow permute edges intuitively-orient corners(R'D'RD)-permute corners(R'D'R) and (R'DR)