Older cubers discussions

It was named after Arnaud van Galen, an early popularizer of the method, and by the way the originator of our weekly Speedsolving.com online competition!

https://www.speedsolving.com/wiki/index.php/AvG_edge_pairing


I think this is probably it, although I haven't had time to watch it all just now. There are some advanced techniques that can make it really very move efficient, but in general it's just simply 2 at a time edge pairing. A very simplistic method, but you can get quite fast at it. Erik was able to get sub-1 with V-Cubes using it at one point.

Oh, and here's Arnaud himself explaining the basic method:

Once you go to 6x6x6 and above, lucky cases tend to become much more common, and I think that causes AvG to become substantially less efficient. But on 5x5x5 lucky cases tend to be as common for AvG as for freeslice, so I think the benefit mostly vanishes. The main benefit to freeslice is the way the completed edges stay put, so as you go it gets easier because you have fewer edges to check for remaining pieces. But AvG means much less thinking in a lot of ways, and yet can be quite efficient. If you can get your lookahead good enough that you can constant turn with AvG (despite having to occasionally find pieces at the back of the cube), I suspect you could still be world class with it.

Not that I’m able to do FMC for ANY sized cube, but I take it to that you are saying if the Center’s are solved “correctly” you can avoid parity in from any initial scramble/configuration? Very interesting. I wasn’t sure what caused the parity, just know it can be annoying when going for speed.
Right. I think at least one of the parities involved using odd vs. even numbers of slice moves to solve the centers. So if you first solved it with 10 moves and then finished the solve and had that type of parity (can't remember if it was OLL or PLL), you could solve the centers with 11 moves and guarantee that parity would go away.
 
Lots of fast youg cubers in Poland made a big progress in last months using Yau5 with f2l-2 before last 4 edges and parity alg after f2l. They are still not faster than Wojtek Knott (NR Holder) and Józek Halczuk (former NR holder) - both using freeslice and reduction - but I think it's a matter of time.
 
I use AvG on 5x5 too (with Hoya). I've tried Freeslice but I find the lookahead way more difficult and it doesn't seem significantly more move efficient to me, on 5x5.

On 6x6, I also use Hoya and AvG, pairing the inner edges first then pairing the outer edges like a 5x5. I'm trying to switch to reduction via Freeslice, but I rarely practise 6x6 these days. I'm not sure switching would help my times anyway - I just wanted to get better at Freeslice for fun.
 
Wow. Pretty quiet day... thanks for the pointers and references for 5x5 edge pairing. I’m still at the point where simple practise will have dramatic improvements in my time.

Back to 3BLD. Did a couple attempts tonite. Got a 6:50 DNF, then a 7:55 success.

The DNF was technically an execution error. The cube “twisted” in my hands and I had no way of knowing how much and which way. So... essentially just prior to my corners I had a messed up orientation—guaranteed hot mess. I redid the attempt and at least verified my memo was correct. Then, did a second (successful) attempt.

Still using OP/OP. With three attempts in Charleston, I’m hopeful. I won’t be disappointed any way it goes... 1st comp doing blind, I suspect my nerves will be a factor.
 
When we were doing 4x4x4 fewest moves on the weekly competition, my goal would be to always remove all parity in the initial centers solve. I don't remember the exact rules, but the idea was: come up with the best possible center solve in about 10 minutes (we had 2.5 hours for the entire solve), then solve it and see if you have parity. If so, go back and make the proper adjustments to the centers solve, possibly adding 2 or 3 moves, so as to remove parity. Then solve the edges with AvG (which is really surprisingly move-efficient when done slowly and carefully), then do an ordinary 3x3x3 fewest moves solve from there to finish, with no parity. I was able to average under 100 moves with that rather simple approach, and without being very good at the time at 3x3x3 FMC. I really wish I remember the details, but I don't right now.
4FMC totally needs to be a thing again. Also, the reason you can influence parity (specifically, OLL parity) during the centres is, interestingly and paradoxically enough, not because of how the centres are solved, but because of how edge pairing is done.
The usual edge pairing methods we use on big cubes (chain pairing and freeslice) all behave by slicing up the centres, pulling out and reinserting edge groups with outer layer moves only, and eventually realigning all the centre bars. Outer layer moves never affect the permutation parity of the wings, and while separating the centre bars does affect the parity, it'll be restored later anyway. The net effect is that, between the start and the end of the edge pairing phase, the permutation parity doesn't change.

An odd wing permutation manifests as "OLL parity" once edge pairing is done; if you solve the centres in such a way that the wings have even parity, then you're guaranteed to not have "OLL parity" if you use a normal edge pairing method. Influencing the parity of the wings during the centres is just a matter of throwing in an extra quarter slice move somewhere (since that is a 4-cycle of wings—an odd permutation).

Also, since it seems like so many people here are somehow bigbld experts, one conceptually easy way of determining parity is to trace cycles like in bigbld. Even number of targets = even parity; odd number of targets = odd parity. Some people actually trace fast enough that they can determine the parity during inspection and solve the centres to avoid OLL parity every time.
 
I'm sure I read somewhere that @Ollie Frost has shown this can be done in inspection time

Hey guys,

Yes, I've done it once in competition and completed Ao12s at home without OLL parity. Obviously doing thousands of 4BLD and 5BLD solves helped. It's stressful, especially during comp inspection, and probably isn't worth it for me at my speed.

With Yau, it's quite fun to execute once you've determined if you have parity or not. You keep a track of the number of half turns you've made right up until you start building your third set of centers, and then correct parity by solving the last two centers with a single Rw or Rw U2 Rw' depending on which state you're in.
 
I've spread the bug to the couple that lives upstairs. They were amused by my pile of 3x3s and besides my GuHong, AoLongs, and a few others that have vague sentimental value they're just dust collectors so I gladly tossed them one. A few days later it became clear I should get them a second puzzle to avoid cube fights. I've limited my help to just hints and concepts plus edge OLL and sune, they've both figured it out on their own from there... not even sure what they're doing for PLL since I didn't help them there.
 
So, I'm heading out to observe my first competition (didn't have the nerve to enter!), to check out the events and vendors. Not that it matters, cuz I'm going anyway, but how out of place will I be? Will there be ANY other graybeards there?
 
So, I'm heading out to observe my first competition (didn't have the nerve to enter!), to check out the events and vendors. Not that it matters, cuz I'm going anyway, but how out of place will I be? Will there be ANY other graybeards there?
There will be plenty of oldies. All of those kids competeing also have parents there.
 
So, I'm heading out to observe my first competition (didn't have the nerve to enter!), to check out the events and vendors. Not that it matters, cuz I'm going anyway, but how out of place will I be? Will there be ANY other graybeards there?
Aww, you should have entered! But that's okay; glad you're going.

Whether you will see any other oldies competing there will entirely depend on which competition you're going to. But generally even the kids are very friendly; you have no reason to feel out of place. They might assume you're a parent, but once they see you solving, they'll know you're just a cuber like everyone else . :)
 
Heh! Don't think me and my 3x3 PB of 1 min 39 sec would have made much of an impact on the event!! Maybe next time just for the fun of it...

Didn't even think of the parents! I'll just blend in!

Thanks, all...
 
Heh! Don't think me and my 3x3 PB of 1 min 39 sec would have made much of an impact on the event!! Maybe next time just for the fun of it...

Didn't even think of the parents! I'll just blend in!

Thanks, all...

Making an impact is overrated. Besides, I'm sure I'm not the only one who usually counts how well I do in terms of how many places up from the bottom I get. Ah well. Enjoy yourself anyway.
 
Heh! Don't think me and my 3x3 PB of 1 min 39 sec would have made much of an impact on the event!! Maybe next time just for the fun of it...

Didn't even think of the parents! I'll just blend in!

Thanks, all...
My wife has a WCA PB single of 1:14.68 and average of 1:31.99 despite attending 10 competitions. Your average is perfectly fine for competing. I do hope you'll compete next time!
 
Heh! After watching many videos and reading many posts, it is easy to start believing everybody but me averages sub 20. Thanks for the reality check.... :-)
 
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