Speedsolving.com Wiki - User contributions [en]

One-Handed Solving

2011-12-10T05:24:31Z

Adrian1: /* OH Finger Stretches Before Averages */

'''One-Handed solving''' ('''OH''' for short) is a type of [[speedcubing]] requiring one to solve a puzzle with one hand; you cannot touch the cube with your body or anything other than the [[Table abuse | table]]. Competitions averages as low as [http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/regions.php?regionId=&eventId=333oh&years=&mixed=Mixed 14.76 seconds] have been achieved on the [[3x3x3]], with winning times being around 20–21 seconds at a typical competition.

This page is a guide for starting in and training one-handed solving. For a history, see [[history of one-handed solving]].

==Which Hand to Use?==

While it may appear most obvious to use the dominant hand, both hands work as well for one-handed solving; in fact, the non-dominant left hand is more often used by right-handed cubers, who find R and U moves easier with the left hand. It is also helpful to do OH with a hand that is already used to holding the cube. Either hand, and dominant or dominant, can be very fast. Use whichever feels comfortable.

==Grip and Turning==

Most one-handed cubers hold the cube with the thumb and middle finger (and often the ring finger as well) and turn with the remaining fingers. Since one goal of one-handed cubing is to use as many R and U turns (or L and U) as possible as they are much faster and more comfortable, the focus is on how to do these turns easily. There are two main schools of thought on how to accomplish this:
* One way, used by [[Ryan Patricio]], involves the index and ring fingers: the index does U by pushing LUB, U' by pushing BUL, and R' by pushing BUR, and the ring finger does R by pushing BDR. The ring finger is also free to do D and D' moves, so this method can be useful for cubers who use many < L,U,R > or < U,R,D > algorithms.
* The second, used by the top Japanese OH cubers as well as [[Brian Loftus]], involves using only the index and the pinky. The cube is held with the other three fingers; the index does U by pushing FUL and U' by pushing BUL, and the pinky does R by pushing BRD and R' by pushing FRD. Although this method is faster for sequences of only U and R turns, no other turns are possible without rotating the cube or changing the grip, so this method can require more cube rotations. It is however possible to do u and r turns with a slight grip change.

==Training the OH Hand==

For most people who want to try OH, their fingers will not initially be anywhere near strong or fast enough to perform [[algorithm]]s quickly. There are several ways to train the hand:
* Doing specific moves over and over. Just doing RU' or RUR'U' repeatedly can be useful for training the fingers involved in those positions.
* Performing algorithms. Simply solving a lot without a break, or doing OLL or [[PLL attack]]s, can train the different types of movements and finger endurance. Slowing down at the end of a solve is a sign that you need more endurance.
* Executing random moves or scrambles. [[Johannes Laire]] suggests this method of training; it is useful for exercising the whole hand and not just the fingers that are involved in turns.

==OH Finger Stretches Before Averages==

You can try to stretch your wrist to keep your fingers from getting relaxed. When your fingers are relaxed, they tend to move slowly, and therefore, a slower solve. But there are stretches you can do on the OH hand. You can try pulling ln your thumb, cracking your knuckles, the possibilities are endless. Try and invent your own to improve your hands.

=="One-Handed Amnesia"==

Many beginning OH solvers find that when they often forget algorithms while solving one-handed, even ones they know very well two-handed, a phenomenon called ''one-handed amnesia.'' This may be because sometimes people learn algorithms using muscle memory, and thus are unable to perform them slowly or one turn at a time. If you want to start OH solving, be prepared to have to relearn some of the algorithms that you thought you knew.
@see [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14911 speedsolving.com alg Amnesia thread]

== See Also ==
* [[:Category:Notable OH Cubers]]

== External Links ==
* Speedsolving.com: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15523 Beginners one handed tips and pointers thread]
* Speedsolving.com: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20561 Robert's OH algorithm discoveries]
* [http://pagesperso-orange.fr/absolutemind/oll1h-angl.html Absolute OLL OH] by Sébastien FELIX
* [http://pagesperso-orange.fr/absolutemind/pll1h-angl.html Absolute PLL OH] by Sébastien FELIX
* [http://www.loftycuber.110mb.com/oll.html Lofty's Guide to One Hand Cubing OLL] by Brian Loftus
* [http://www.loftycuber.110mb.com/pll.html Lofty's Guide to One Hand Cubing PLL] by Brian Loftus
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/LoftyCuber Videos by Brian Loftus]
* Speedsolving.com: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?14365-Statistical-question-Hand-used-in-OH/page4 Statistical question: Hand used in OH?]
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/CUTEXcuber Videos by CUTEX]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20080822185656/www.cubingtechniques.com/cubing/techniques/tomy/ Tomy's algorithms] (Takumi Yoshida)
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/Tomy1619 Tomy's videos]
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/Raiden198935 Videos by Raiden]

[[Category:Solving Variants]]

Diansheng

2011-11-22T10:34:32Z

Adrian1: /* 2x2x2 Cube */

{{Manufacturer
|NAME=Shantou Chenghai Diansheng Toys Co., Ltd.
|LOGO=Diansheng_logo.jpg
|YEARFOUNDED=2009
|LOCATION=China
|YEARSACTIVE=2009-present
|AREASSERVED=Worldwide
|WEBSITE=http://www.85161568.com
|PRODUCTS=2x2x2, 3x3x3, Mini 3x3x3
}}

Manufacturer of the Type-E 3x3x3 cube.

== Products ==

=== 2x2x2 Cube ===
Only sold in white. Uses a screw-spring mechanism. These Cubes are often used by beginners because it has a ability not to overshoot or lockup as much as the eastsheen. The screw/spring structure provides excellent corner cutting and stability. The only downfall is that Diansheng only produces white 2x2x2. Very recommended.
[[Image:diansheng_2x2.jpg|none|thumb|Diansheng 2x2x2]]

== Where To Buy ==

Free Shipping

* Lightake.com White Only [http://www.lightake.com/detail.do/sku.24879~C.12332011TXFCIVEFR!]

=== 3x3x3 Cube (Type-E) ===
{{Puzzle Ratings
|pzl=Type-E
|n=6
|ss=9.25
|lr=5.5
|cc=5.83
|pr=9.33
|qu=5.0
|rl=8.25
|wt=84g
|ov=7.33
}}
[http://cube4you.com/370_Diansheng-White-3x3x3-Cube-(e).html Type E cubes] are known as Diansheng (or DS) cubes. Out of the box they are quite bad, but after lubing with silicone they become much better. One problem is that they are somewhat prone to locking up, due to the very cubic cubies. There are two types of DS cubes, no.222 and no.333. Rather than stickers, the Diansheng no.333 has the colors painted onto the sides of the cube. The color scheme is a mirrored version of the [[Western color scheme]]. The no.222 has regular stickers. Both of the painted and stickered types have different cubies. Because of their very light weight, and very loose, smooth turning; DS 3x3x3's are often used in [[One-Handed]] cubing.
{|
| [[Image:Type-e222.jpg|none|thumb|Type-E no.222]]
| [[Image:Type-e333.jpg|none|thumb|Type-E no.333]]
|}

== Where To Buy ==

Shipping + Product = Only $4 USD

* Lightake.com [http://www.lightake.com/detail.do/sku.27434~C.12332011TXFCIVEFR!]

=== Mini 3x3x3 ===
{{Puzzle Ratings
|pzl=Mini DS
|n=5
|ss=9.2
|lr=6.8
|cc=6.2
|pr=8.64
|qu=7.16
|rl=8.2
|wt
|ov=8.5
}}

45mm cube, larger than the [[Maru Mini]], but smaller than the [[Mini-C]].
[[Image:Mini_ds.png|none|thumb|Mini DS]]

== Where To Buy ==

* Lightake.com [http://www.lightake.com/detail.do/sku.27399~C.12332011TXFCIVEFR!]

Only $3 USD wt Shipping

== See Also ==
* [[2x2x2 Cubes]]
* [[3x3x3 Cubes]]
* [[Mini Cubes]]
* [[Puzzle Hardware]]
* [[One-Handed]]

== External Links ==
* http://www.85161568.com
* http://dianshengtoys.en.alibaba.com
* Speedsolving.com: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16175 Diansheng 2x2??]
* Lightake Diansheng Cubes [http://www.lightake.com/products.do/category.Wholesale_DS-169~c.12332011TXFCIVEFR!]

[[Category:Puzzle Manufacturers]]
[[Category:Cubing Terminology]]
{{Stub}}

Rubik's Cube Fact sheet

2011-11-21T13:19:12Z

Adrian1: /* 2x2x2 Cube facts */

== 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube facts ==
Here are some [[3x3x3]] [[Rubik's]] [[cube]] facts:
* It was originally known as the Magic Cube.
* It was invented by [[Ernö Rubik]] of Hungary in 1974, first patented in 1975, and first released in 1977.
* Over 300 million Rubik's Cubes and imitation cubes have been sold worldwide, making it the best-selling toy ever.
* There are 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 ways a cube can be scrambled - that's 12! * 8! * 2^10 * 3^7, 4.3 * 10^19 or 43 quintillion positions! To give you an idea of how big that number is, if there were one cube [[scramble | scrambled]] for every legal position, they would cover the surface of the earth about 150 times!
* The number of [[solve | unsolved]] configurations on a Rubik's cube is a prime number.
* A normal cube has 21 pieces, consisting of one core, 8 [[corner]]s, and 12 [[edge]]s, and a total of 54 stickers.
* There exist computer optimal solvers of the Rubik's Cube, and all checked positions have had a solution of [[God's Number | 20 moves]] or fewer, with a small number of positions (such as the [[superflip]]) having an optimal solution of 20 [[move]]s. An international team consisting of Tomas Rokicki, [[Herbert Kociemba]], Morley Davidson, and John Dethridge proved that all positions can be solved in 20 or fewer moves, so the exact upper bound is 20.
* The first official World Record for solving the Rubik's Cube was 22.95 seconds by [http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/p.php?i=1982THAI01 Minh Thai]; the current single solve record is 6.24 seconds by [http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/p.php?i=2009ZEMD01 Feliks Zemdegs], and the average of 5 record is 7.87 seconds also by [http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/p.php?i=2009ZEMD01 Feliks Zemdegs].

== 2x2x2 Cube facts ==
Here are some [[2x2x2]] Cube facts:
* The official name for this cube is the Pocket Cube or Mini Cube.
* Rubik patented the design for this cube in 1983.
* There are 7! * 3^6 or 3,674,160 positions to this cube. It is equivalent to solving only the corners of the Rubik's Cube.
* A 2x2x2 cube has just 8 pieces, all corner pieces, and a total of 24 tiles. Most mechanisms have a number of hidden internal pieces as well.
* The 2x2x2 cube can always be solved in 11 moves or fewer.
* The current single solve World Record is 0.69 seconds, by Christian Kaserer and the average of 5 record is 2.12 seconds by [http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/p.php?i=2009ZEMD01 Feliks Zemdegs].

== 4x4x4 Cube facts ==
Here are some [[4x4x4]] Cube facts:
* The official name for this cube is Rubik's Revenge, although it was invented not by Rubik but by [[Péter Sebestény]].
* The 4x4x4 has 7! * 3^6 * (24!)^2 / (4!)^6 positions. This is about 7.4 * 10^45.
* There are 56 pieces on this cube: 8 corner pieces, 24 edge pieces, and 24 center pieces. There are also some number of hidden internal pieces, depending on the brand. The 4x4x4 cube has a total of 96 stickers.
* It is unknown how many moves are required to solve a 4x4x4 cube, but it has been proven to be at least 31.
* The 4x4x4 supercube, the cube where all center pieces are distinguishable, is the only n x n x n supercube where the [[permutation]] of the edge pieces is completely independent of the rest of the cube.
* The current single solve record is 31.97 seconds by [http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/p.php?i=2009ZEMD01 Feliks Zemdegs], and the average of 5 record is 35.80 seconds also by [http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/p.php?i=2009ZEMD01 Feliks Zemdegs].

== 5x5x5 Cube facts ==
Here are some [[5x5x5]] Cube facts:
* The official name for this cube is the Professor's Cube, and it was invented not by Rubik but by [[Udo Krell]].
* The 5x5x5 has 12! * 8! * 2^10 * 3^7 * (24!)^3 / (4!)^12 positions. This is about 2.83 * 10^74.
* There are 99 pieces on this cube: one core, 8 corners, 36 edges, and 54 centers. There are also a total of 150 stickers.
* It is unknown how many moves are required to solve a 5x5x5 cube, but it has been proven to be at least 50.
* The current single solve record is 1:01.59 by [http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/p.php?i=2009ZEMD01 Feliks Zemdegs], and the average of 5 record is 1:07.01 also by [http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/p.php?i=2009ZEMD01 Feliks Zemdegs].

[[Category:Puzzle Theory]]

Petrus Method

2011-11-12T06:49:23Z

Adrian1: /* The Steps */

{{Method Infobox
|name=Petrus
|image=Petrus_method.gif
|proposers=[[Lars Petrus]]
|year=1981
|anames
|algs=2 to 493 (for the last layer)
|variants
|steps=7
|moves=45 to 60
|purpose=<sup></sup>
* [[Fewest Moves]]
* [[Speedsolving]]
}}
The '''Petrus Method''', invented by [[Lars Petrus]], is a block-building [[method]] where the [[F2L]] is solved intuitively with no [[algorithm]]s. Behind [[Fridrich]], it is currently the second most popular speed cubing method in use.

== The Steps ==
The following steps describe an approach suited for beginners, more advanced users might combine steps 1 and 2 and/or 5 and 6 ([[COLL]]) or use a [[Fridrich]] type last layer and do [[OLL]] and then [[PLL]]. If the fifth step is skipped the last layer can be solved with a [[2GLL]] algorithm.

1. First, build a [[2x2x2 block]] anywhere on the cube.

2. Next, you expand the 2x2x2 block to a [[2x2x3 block]], three ways is possible.

3. After that, you fix the "bad edges" or orient the remaining seven edges on the cube that have not been solved.

4. Then, you finish the First Two Layers (F2L). The pure Petrus approach is to create a 1x2x2 block and expand it to a 1x2x3 block to finish off the F2L, not to solve the cross piece and two corner/edge pairs, two ways is possible.

5. Next, you permute the last layer corners, or put them in their proper places (they do not have to be oriented.)

6. Now, you orient the last layer corners, making the whole last layer a solid color.

7. Finally, you permute the last layer edges, without disturbing anything else, to solve the cube.

== Pros ==

The Petrus Method uses fewer moves than the [[Fridrich]] method and most other non-block-building methods. It is more intuitive than the Fridrich method, and it requires far less algorithms. The last layer can even be solved in one look with [[ZBLL]] or [[ZZLL]], however this drastically increases the number of algorithms one must learn.

== Cons ==

It can be sometimes hard (especially for a beginner) to optimize block building, and it's difficult to keep consistently turning throughout the solve.

== Petrus variations ==

There are several other [[sub step|substeps]] that can be used [[EJLS]], [[WV]], [[COLL]], [[JSLS]], and [[ZBLL]], which completes the entire last layer in a single algorithm.

== Petrus as a Beginner Method ==
Used as a beginner method, Petrus requires much more intuition, but also involves learning fewer algorithms. For a tutorial, see the external links below.

== External Links ==

* [http://lar5.com/cube/ Lars Petrus's tutorial]
* [http://petrus-speed.netne.net/ Petrus Speed Website]
* Speedsolving.com [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14014 YouTube Beginner Petrus Tutorial]
* YouTube: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ9OrFVQw0o Petrus Tutorial] by fallofshadows
* YouTube: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqXdO2H2FTs Petrus Tutorial] by CuberChris

[[Category:Methods]]
[[Category:3x3x3 Methods]]
[[Category:3x3x3 Beginner Methods]]
[[Category:3x3x3 Speedsolving Methods]]
[[Category:Fewest Moves Methods]]

Petrus Method

2011-11-11T15:31:44Z

Adrian1: /* The Steps */

{{Method Infobox
|name=Petrus
|image=Petrus_method.gif
|proposers=[[Lars Petrus]]
|year=1981
|anames
|algs=2 to 493 (for the last layer)
|variants
|steps=7
|moves=45 to 60
|purpose=<sup></sup>
* [[Fewest Moves]]
* [[Speedsolving]]
}}
The '''Petrus Method''', invented by [[Lars Petrus]], is a block-building [[method]] where the [[F2L]] is solved intuitively with no [[algorithm]]s. Behind [[Fridrich]], it is currently the second most popular speed cubing method in use.

== The Steps ==
The following steps describe an approach suited for beginners, more advanced users might combine steps 1 and 2 and/or 5 and 6 ([[COLL]]) or use a [[Fridrich]] type last layer and do [[OLL]] and then [[PLL]]. If the fifth step is skipped the last layer can be solved with a [[2GLL]] algorithm.

1. First, build a [[2x2x2 block]] anywhere on the cube.

2. Next, you expand the 2x2x2 block to a [[2x2x3 block]], three ways is possible.

3. After that, you fix the "bad edges" or orient the remaining six edges on the cube that have not been solved.

4. Then, you finish the First Two Layers (F2L). The pure Petrus approach is to create a 1x2x2 block and expand it to a 1x2x3 block to finish off the F2L, not to solve the cross piece and two corner/edge pairs, two ways is possible.

5. Next, you permute the last layer corners, or put them in their proper places (they do not have to be oriented.)

6. Now, you orient the last layer corners, making the whole last layer a solid color.

7. Finally, you permute the last layer edges, without disturbing anything else, to solve the cube.

== Pros ==

The Petrus Method uses fewer moves than the [[Fridrich]] method and most other non-block-building methods. It is more intuitive than the Fridrich method, and it requires far less algorithms. The last layer can even be solved in one look with [[ZBLL]] or [[ZZLL]], however this drastically increases the number of algorithms one must learn.

== Cons ==

It can be sometimes hard (especially for a beginner) to optimize block building, and it's difficult to keep consistently turning throughout the solve.

== Petrus variations ==

There are several other [[sub step|substeps]] that can be used [[EJLS]], [[WV]], [[COLL]], [[JSLS]], and [[ZBLL]], which completes the entire last layer in a single algorithm.

== Petrus as a Beginner Method ==
Used as a beginner method, Petrus requires much more intuition, but also involves learning fewer algorithms. For a tutorial, see the external links below.

== External Links ==

* [http://lar5.com/cube/ Lars Petrus's tutorial]
* [http://petrus-speed.netne.net/ Petrus Speed Website]
* Speedsolving.com [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14014 YouTube Beginner Petrus Tutorial]
* YouTube: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ9OrFVQw0o Petrus Tutorial] by fallofshadows
* YouTube: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqXdO2H2FTs Petrus Tutorial] by CuberChris

[[Category:Methods]]
[[Category:3x3x3 Methods]]
[[Category:3x3x3 Beginner Methods]]
[[Category:3x3x3 Speedsolving Methods]]
[[Category:Fewest Moves Methods]]