Who's solved the cube without instructions?

[Columnar]

Just curious. It's a really hard puzzle, and most people haven't the patience to spend that long, especially when you can just flip to a website and read some basic steps and learn in an hour.

When I was young, the cube had just come out, and instructions weren't available yet. My older brother and I got hooked by the craze. He figured it out first, I did a little later. It took a few months, but I got it. We followed the pattern Top Layer, Bottom Corners, Middle Edges, Bottom Edges. My brother showed me two algorithms, then I figured the rest.

1. R'D'RDFDF' permutes 3 corners
2. RMR2M'R, then fix UR, to insert a middle edge.

Obviously more algorithms are needed, but I figured them out. With practice I got sub-60 times with this, on a "Wonderful Puzzler".

About a year later we got a Revenge for Christmas, and we took turns puzzling it out. Solved it in 8 days. :tu Flipping a single dedge was the hardest part, and my solution was to mix things up a bit and hope it comes out better the second time

 

[brunson]

2. RMR2M'R, then fix UR, to insert a middle edge.

I think you mean E rather than M.

I did it once with some coaching from a friend back in '81. Not really instruction, but more like vague direction and R U R' U', but really, no, not by myself.

 

[Anonymous]

Not the first time, but since I've gotten a little more experienced I've made up my own (crappy) intuitive methods to solve it. I should learn commutators seriously though, since whenever I try to make up an algorithm which, say, flips two corners, I sorta play around with it until inspiration strikes. It works, but it's not as impressive as people effortlessly making up algorithms on the spot.

 

[ThatGuy]

My dad has a colleague in the math department who said he [colleague] used some group theory to figure it out. It took him I think two weeks.

 

[cmhardw]

I did not figure out the 3x3x3 on my own, and instead resorted to a website. I always regretted this, so I used it as motivation to learn the square-1 completely on my own, including my parity algorithm. I am ridiculously slow at square-1 by competition stands, but I am proud to say that my method is entirely my own. So to answer your question, no I never did learn the 3x3x3 on my own, but I can relate to the feeling you have when you figured out the 3x3x3, and later the 4x4x4, on your own. I only wish I also had done this for more puzzles.

Chris

 

[Kirjava]

Might be an unpopular view, but I'm glad I learned Petrus instead of figuring it out myself.

 

[Owen]

I didn't, but now I try to make up my own methods for puzzles. So far I've only figured out the simple ones. (Pyraminx, Floppy cube, Platypus, Fifteen puzzle, Dino cube).

 

[jiggy]

I did not figure out the 3x3x3 on my own, and instead resorted to a website. I always regretted this, so I used it as motivation to learn the square-1 completely on my own, including my parity algorithm. I am ridiculously slow at square-1 by competition stands, but I am proud to say that my method is entirely my own. So to answer your question, no I never did learn the 3x3x3 on my own, but I can relate to the feeling you have when you figured out the 3x3x3, and later the 4x4x4, on your own. I only wish I also had done this for more puzzles.

Chris

You, sir, are my hero of the day. I'm completely stuck on the parity algorithm for the moment. Annoying thing!

Please no one give me any hints, by the way, I'm sure as heck not going to give up on this last step! =P I have a few more ideas I haven't had a chance to try out yet, anyway.

OT: Not the first time, no. But since then I've become able to solve it completely intuitively, so I don't feel like I've lost too much.

 

[theace]

I figured out the first two layers on my own, yes. It took me about a week. When I couldn't get the last layer right, i got frustrated and went over to youtube. But I kinda felt guilty, for cheating with Dan Brown, so all I watched was the notation part. Then, I just copied down the algorithms and tried to figure out what they do. Took a while, but i could do it.

Cracked the 2x2, 4x4 and sq1 on my own. But yeah, I did go to the internet for the sq1 parity and 4x4 oll parity. Figured out pll parity on my own.

 

[Forte]

I like coming up with methods, but actual algs aren't fun to come up with ):

 

[Anonymous]

Might be an unpopular view, but I'm glad I learned Petrus instead of figuring it out myself.

May I ask why?

 

[Kirjava]

I like the level of understanding I went into by doing it.

The only thing I lost is bragging rights.

 

[vgbjason]

Nope, i learned 3x3 from the little manual that came with it :/ I figured 4x4 out on my own, but once you know 3x3 that's not really that tough.

 

[eastamazonantidote]

I did corners first with pretty good success. All you do it get it down to the M slice and UR/UL and you will figure it out at some point.

 

[~Adam~]

I sat down with a cube for the 1st time when I was about 10. It was solved 3 hours later. Only solved it twice then picked one back up about a year ago.

 

[cyoubx]

I solved it on my own by solving the corners first, then using what I later found out to be the U Perm for the edges. Each solve took about 3 minutes haha, but I was proud

 

[ElectricDoodie]

I solved the 4x4x4 on my own, if that counts...

 

[supercuber86]

I had a rubiks cube and never played with it after i couldnt solve it. Years later i got a new one and used the sheet that came with it. I solved it. But i did make some of my own PLL algorithms

 

[Daniel Wu]

I did the same as Kir and learned Petrus first.

 

[vcuber13]

I solved the 4x4x4 on my own, if that counts...

I solved the 6x6 on my own, if that counts...