Methods Vs. Solve Times (Project!)

[JLarsen]

Name: Josh Larsen
Nationality: American
Age: 17
Speedcubing Method: Freakin Petrus(all of you CFOP addicts)
Best/Worst Solve Time: 12.xy, <2 min
Best Average(of 5): Like 16, I do avg 12's, they mean more; 17.18
Best Official: NA
Method used in official:NA
Time cubing: 1 and 1/2 years, 8 months speedsolving.
Sub 20 took me forever. I was around 22 or so for like 3 months, and I see why everyone quits Petrus. I've known two people whom have got sub 20 in 2 months(passing me up), and on both occasions they tried Petrus, and quit within 2 weeks. My F2L was garbage for the longest time, but I changed that. This also took forever.....
Favourite Speedsolve Event: Um.......I do OH, 3x3 speedsolve, and 5x5, speedsolve done most.
Speedcube: Black old type a.....waiting for black cubeforyou cube.
Any other useful info: IMO Petrus is easily twice as hard as Fridrich to be fast at.

 

[abr71310]

Okay, the final tests for my Data Management class take place this coming week, so the presentations start in four weeks.

So far, this is what I have planned (I might need help with organization / presentation since I snapped my right hand's wrist playing badminton this past week Monday):

Pie graph showing major "solve methods" versus sub-25?? times? (Basically, show that Fridrich is one of the more prominent methods, as well as Petrus and Roux to a lesser extent)

Scatterplot of WR times (Single or Average?) since 2005, and the current scatterplot of top 100 WR times (3x3x3)

Solve time (average) versus time cubing per day / overall (search for correlation??)

Explain bias, explain sample and how i obtained it, explain MAYBE the solve methods in partial detail??

I have to create some data using Fathom, so whoever out there knows what that is (it's basically like Excel, only more idiot-proof and oriented towards educational instruction), and is able to provide some feedback or helpful tips as to what I should present (Max. 12 min presentation, ideally 10 min.), I'd love the help, especially since I am now limited in my efforts, at least for a couple of weeks.

 

[DavidWoner]

Solve time (average) versus time cubing per day / overall (search for correlation??)

I'm not so sure about this one, I don't think you'd find much of a correlation. Imagine if you have a new cuber who only averages about 45 seconds, but they are practicing 4 hours a say to get better. Then on the other hand you have someone who has been cubing for years and averages 15 seconds, but only cubes for 1 hour a day. The important variable is not time spent cubing per day, but total time spent cubing(cubing per day times days cubing). Although this may be hard to analyze since the amount of time people spend cubing each day varies over the months and years.

 

[abr71310]

Solve time (average) versus time cubing per day / overall (search for correlation??)

I'm not so sure about this one, I don't think you'd find much of a correlation. Imagine if you have a new cuber who only averages about 45 seconds, but they are practicing 4 hours a say to get better. Then on the other hand you have someone who has been cubing for years and averages 15 seconds, but only cubes for 1 hour a day. The important variable is not time spent cubing per day, but total time spent cubing(cubing per day times days cubing). Although this may be hard to analyze since the amount of time people spend cubing each day varies over the months and years.

Well I can also see how it would decrease (improvement times, I mean) as one got better; I think the curve would be much like a reverse exponential slope

I guess I can see what you mean; but how would I show the correlation between practice, improvement ( and potential? ) and actual solve times?

Does intelligence play a factor? Mysteries, mysteries....

 

[Chuberchuckee]

[...]
Does intelligence play a factor? Mysteries, mysteries....

"Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration."

It's more determination and time practicing than intelligence, it seems. Except maybe blindfold solvers who use certain memorization methods.

 

[abr71310]

Well then, is it fair to say that solve times have to do with how much we sweat??

Don't people like Jean Pons practice non-stop? Where's his WR?!?!

 

[Nukoca]

Name: Nukoca
Nationality: USA
Age: 14
Speedcubing Method: Current method is Petrus,~30.02 seconds. Fridrich(two-look OLL & PLL) ~32.67 seconds
Best/Worst Solve Time: Best: 30.02<Way up there
Best Average (of 5): I don't take averages, just single times.
Best OFFICIAL average (of 5): Never been in competition
Method used in official:
Time cubing: Sometime around October 2007
Progression: 1) LBL (the booklet that came with it, in other words)
2) Figured out some shortcuts, like getting rid of the last D on RiDiRD.
3) Keyhole
4) Intuitive F2L
5) 2-look OLL/PLL
6) Switched to Petrus
How long did it take you to get where you are now? A looong time. I didn't like Fridrich so I switched to Petrus and my times went down by about 10 seconds.
What were your times like? I had a 57 sec average.
Your projected "potential"?: You mean with like graphed predictions? No idea. Nice question, though. I'll start recording my times.

 

[holypasta]

Name: Evan Sandhoefner
Nationality: born in U.S.A., distantly German
Age: 13
Speedcubing Method: Fridrich, ~45 secs
Best/Worst Solve Time: best, 30 secs; worst, anything under a minute
Best Average (of 5): unknown
Best OFFICIAL average (of 5): unknown
Method used in official: Fridrich
Time cubing: just over three months (since 12-25-09)
Progression:
aaaaa1) beginners' LBL
aaaaa2) added algorithms
aaaaa3) keyhole
aaaaa4) fingertricks
aaaaa5) cross on bottom
aaaaa6) Fridrich F2L
aaaaa7) my first DIY (type A)
aaaaa8) Fridrich 4LLL
Favourite Speedsolve event: 3x3x3
Speedcube: puzzleproz type A (about to get a YUGA...yay!)
Your projected "potential"?: too early to tell

 

[doubleagent3]

Name: Joe
Nationality: American and philippino
Age: 12
Speedcubing method: 4 lll some beginners tyson mao
Best/Worst solve time: 49 secs, worst 125
TIme CUbeing: about three months
Progression: tyson mao beginners method, two look oll, two look pll,
SPeed cube: believe it or not i use a store bought cube, it's better than my diy which pops too much
Your projected "potential"?": no idea my goal is forty seconds average. maybe even thirty second average.

 

[abr71310]

Progression:
aaaaa1) beginners' LBL
aaaaa2) added algorithms
aaaaa3) keyhole
aaaaa4) fingertricks
aaaaa5) cross on bottom
aaaaa6) Fridrich F2L
aaaaa7) my first DIY (type A)
aaaaa8) Fridrich 4LLL

Thank you (seriously) for giving me an honest progression.
I should have made this the template: I'm now reconsidering how I'm going to store this data.

 

[Bob]

Name: Bob Burton
Nationality: USA
Age: 24
Speedcubing Method: Fridrich (With COLL, edge control, etc.)
Best/Worst Solve Time: best: 13.15, worst: ?
Best Average (of 5): 16.27
Best OFFICIAL average (of 5): 17.86
Method used in official: Fridrich
Time cubing: Just under 8 years
Progression: LBL (May 2001), F2L (February 2005), PLL (March 2005), OLL (April-May 2005), COLL (July 2005), ...
Favourite Speedsolve event: 3x3x3
Speedcube: KCA Edison Cube
Your projected "potential"?: 15-16 second average

 

[ThatGuy]

Name: Matt J.
Nationality (Doesn't really matter but still): Chinese
Age: (don't have to answer if it's touchy, but age groups are nice when plotting data tables and graphs) 14
Speedcubing Method: (List the ones you know well and your times for each, if you know more than one) (EG. Fridrich: ~25 seconds, Petrus: ~45 seconds, Roux: ~85 seconds) Fridrich 45 Petrus ?
Best/Worst Solve Time: 30.29/2.5 min
Best Average (of 5): 40.15
Best OFFICIAL average (of 5): none
Method used in official: none
Time cubing (how long, when did you begin...?): 1 month around 2007, half starting in march 2009
Progression: How long did it take you to get where you are now? What were your times like? What did you change? What around you changed? (That last one is for old-school cubers from the 1980s ^^)
learned beginners in 2007 7th grade, really into cubing for a month, but only solved it over and over. discovered fridrich f2l basically on my own near the end of the month. stopped until now, when i got into it again, dropped about 15 sec recently.
Favourite Speedsolve event (I'm going to focus on 3x3x3, but this is good for "extra" data): non
Speedcube: (OH, speedsolve, BLD, whatever, list them all if you like!) Some DIY cube that is clear
Your projected "potential"?: (Random, eh?) (don't have to answer this) sub 15 maybe eventually never.
Other stuff: always really bored, always really tired, very vague usually, parents pushed me to take calc I-III and Physics(mechanics) in middle school, have credit for all of them basically, in band at school, tennis, cross country, making people feel bad, 10/31/1994, math competitions, going to ohio to learn number theory, tried to learn group theory and failed, like teaching things, latin as foriegn language, love chem and programming, going on about stuff, school dances suck doesn't matter who you go with, should probably end this now before too off topic, but i'm bored at school.

 

[spdcbr]

Name: spdcbr (I dont want to give away info)
Nationality: Korean
Age: 10
Speedcubing Method: Fridrich Method
Best/Worst Solve Time: 34.76/I had a cube unsolved at my gramps place and it's still unsolved because his place is on the other side of the world, use that if you want
Best Average: 56.45
Best OFFICIAL average: 48.65
Method used in official: Fridrich Method
Time cubing: 8 months
Progression: By taking a jump to fridrich, I slowed for a while, then, I cut 40 seconds in one month
Favourite Speedsolve event: 3x3x3 (That's the only event I can do!)
Speedcube: I only have one cube: Rubik's Cube(the new logo)
Your projected "potential"?: sub 30~40
Any other useful information!: I'm the youngest cuber in my school
EDIT:I live in Virginia

 

[Nukoca]

Thank you (seriously) for giving me an honest progression.
I should have made this the template: I'm now reconsidering how I'm going to store this data.

I'll edit mine.

 

[adragast]

Name: Kiyoshi Takahashi
Nationality: French, but living in Norway
Age: 28
Speedcubing Method: Fridrich (but learned also Petrus, opposite color faces, Heise, ...)
Best/Worst Solve Time: 13.xx lucky, 17.xx non lucky / worst time recently around 35s
Best Average (of 5), official and non-official: 22.82
Time cubing: started when I was a kid, but have been able solve it only for 5 years
Progression: Unfortunately, I don't have really precise dates. When I was a kid, I could solve 2-3 faces and was happy with it as it was better than anyone I knew at that time. Then about 5 years ago I learned how to solve it on the internet (kind of mix between lbl and what I figured out by myself). Was around 3 min and was happy with it. One year later, I learned the Petrus method thanks to a friend who showed it to me. My times went to about 1 minute but never below. Was a bit dissapointed but stopped improving during about 2 years (just showing my skill to some friends from time to time). Finally, discovered on the net the rubik's community early 2007, began training for the world championship (aim: below 1 minute), participated in a comp in Korea (around 40s), then managed around 35 at the world championship. I already knew all OLL and PLL then and all my improvement since then is almost purely look ahead and fluent turning of the cube (slowsolving).
Favourite Speedsolve event: 3x3 speed, but relatively better in 5x5
Speedcube: Many, the one I was last using is a Japanese DIY that nobody likes but that never pops.
Your projected "potential"?: nothing, I have stopped again, happy I managed a sub-25 average and a sub-20 times officially.
Any other useful information!: I like teaching people, travelling all over the world, meeting other cubers and solving many other puzzles (same as AvG)

 

[FreeHand]

Name: Norbert Héjja
Nationality: Hungarian
Age: 14
Speedcubing Method: Full Fridrich
Best/Worst Solve Time: 10/18
Best Average (of 5): 11.10
Best OFFICIAL average (of 5): 14.70
Method used in official: Fridrich
Time cubing: 1,5 years ago
Favourite Speedsolve Event: 7x7
Speedcube: storebrought

 

[abr71310]

I need some help...

I'm tryign to use the World Cube Association website (worldcubeassociation.org) as a secondary source, and I want to extract data from the spreadsheets they have onto an Excel or Fathom worksheet to analyze...

When I extract the Rubik's Cube (3x3x3) averages for "all results" into an Excel document, I get the natural layout of a spreadsheet, which is wicked, it'll work for a lot of different things I need to do...

But I want to take a tally (I guess make a pie chart out of) the countries' competitors and put it all into one nice graph that I can present (i think USA has one of the highest # of competitors representing that citizenship), and I don't know how...

Does anybody with knowledge on tallying or program-scripting know how to do this, that is willing to help me??

 

[E.drid]

Name: Tyler M.
Nationality: USA
Age: 13
Speedcubing Method: Fridrich
Best/Worst Solve Time: Best: 32.93, Worst: Anything over 60
Best Average (of 5): 39.xx
Best OFFICIAL average (of 5): N/A
Method used in official: N/A
Time cubing: Since June '08
Progression:
June-Sept (Not too serious): Beginner LBL
Hiatus
December-March: 4LLL
April-???: Intuitive F2L w/ 4LLL
Speedcube: Old Type A White DIY from Puzzleproz, lubed with Petroleum Jelly (yeah, yeah, I know.)
Potential: I'm uber lazy, and I'm way more interested in Chess than Cubing, but I won't stop filling my head with Rubik's knowledge until I get consistently sub-25 Averages.

 

[Neroflux]

Name: Rachel
Nationality: Singapore
Age: 15
Speedcubing Method: Fridrich with 3LLL
Best/Worst Solve Time: Best: 15.xx, Worst: There's a worst time?
Best Average (of 5): 20.xx
Best OFFICIAL average (of 5): N/A
Method used in official: Fridrich 3LLL
Time cubing: Since last year
Speedcube: Jap cube A edges
Potential: Dunno, sub 20 is tough...

 

[Novriil]

Name: Uku Kruusamägi
Nationality: Estonia (in Europe if somebody doesn't know)
Age: 14
Speedcubing Method: Fridrich Method F2L (only few of them) + 2-look OLL and 2-look PLL
Best/Worst Solve Time:Best right now is 20.41 and worst.. ummm I remember how I solved in about 5 min. This is the worst I remember.
Best Average of 12: 34.24
Officals times: Never been to a offical
Time cubing: Huuh. About 3 years now? or 4?? I made a LONG pause on the second year and I did "reverseprogress" I started Fridrich in... umm.. March.
Progression:First I had the beginners method. Totally pointless times (2min-1min) In March I started learning Fridrich F2L-s Now I know 10 F2L-s and 2-look OLL + 2-look PLL. I want to improve my times again and then I'll learn full PLL.
Favourite Speedsolve event: 3x3x3, but I like 4x4x4 and 5x5x5 too. 2x2x2 is SO pointless to me. I just hate it.
Speedcube: Some random from Estonian shop called "taibula" (smartyard in english )
Your projected "potential"?: In this year sub-25 and next year sub-20-15
Any other useful information!: I have three cubes. One a keychain what moves like sh*t, a soviet 3x3x3 which is worse than the first one and my speedcube what was mentioned before. EDIT: Just today I got 2 cubes. I'll give one to my friend and one (WHITE!! ) is going to be my OH cube I guess...