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The Rubik's Cube is a mechanical puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. Originally called the "Magic Cube" by its inventor, this puzzle was renamed "Rubik's Cube" by Ideal Toys in 1980 and won the German Game of the Year special award for Best Puzzle that year. It is said to be the world's best-selling toy, with over 300,000,000 Rubik's Cubes and imitations sold worldwide.
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The '''[[Rubik's Cube]]''' is a mechanical [[puzzle]] invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture [[Ernő Rubik]]. Originally called the "Magic Cube" by its inventor, this puzzle was renamed "Rubik's Cube" by the [[Ideal Toys|Ideal Toy Company]] in 1980 and won the German Game of the Year special award for Best Puzzle that year. It is said to be the world's best-selling toy, with over 300,000,000 Rubik's Cubes and imitations sold worldwide.
  
In a classic Rubik's Cube, each of the six faces is covered by 9 stickers, among six solid colours (traditionally being white, yellow, orange, red, blue, and green). A pivot mechanism enables each face to turn independently, thus mixing up the colours. For the puzzle to be solved, each face must be a solid colour.
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In a classic [[3×3×3]] Rubik's Cube, each of the six [[face]]s is covered by 9 [[sticker]]s, among six solid colours (traditionally being white, yellow, orange, red, blue, and green). A pivot mechanism enables each face to turn independently, thus mixing up the colours. For the puzzle to be [[solve]]d, each face must be a solid colour.
  
The Cube celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2005, when a special edition was released, featuring a sticker in the centre of the reflective face (which replaced the white face) with a "Rubik's Cube 1980-2005" logo, and different packaging. There exist four widely available variations: the 2×2×2 (Pocket Cube, also Mini Cube, Junior Cube, or Ice Cube), the standard 3×3×3 cube, the 4×4×4 (Rubik's Revenge, or Master Cube), and the 5×5×5 (Professor's Cube). Recently, larger sizes are also on the market (V-Cube 6 and V-Cube 7). All of these items belong to a broad category of puzzles commonly referred to as "twisty puzzles".
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Three size variations first produced in the 1980s were the [[2×2×2]] (Pocket Cube), the [[4×4×4]] (Rubik's Revenge, or Master Cube), and the [[5×5×5]] (Professor's Cube). In the 2000s, larger sizes appeared on the market (beginning with the [[V-Cube 6]] and [[V-Cube 7]]). All of these items belong to a broad category of puzzles commonly referred to as "[[twisty puzzle]]s".
  
For readability, 3x3x3 is frequently abbreviated 3×3 (and similarly for the other sizes) when there is no ambiguity. Common misspellings include "rubix cube", "rubics cube", "rubick's cube", and "rubiks cube".
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For readability, 3×3×3 is frequently abbreviated 3×3 (and similarly for the other sizes) when there is no ambiguity. Common misspellings include "rubix cube", "rubics cube", "rubick's cube", and "rubiks cube".
  
 
== Conception and development ==
 
== Conception and development ==
In March 1970, Larry Nichols invented a 2×2×2 "Puzzle with Pieces Rotatable in Groups" and filed a Canadian patent application for it. Nichols's cube was held together with magnets. Nichols was granted {{US patent|3655201}} on April 11, 1972, two years before Rubik invented his improved cube.
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In March 1970, [[Larry Nichols]] filed a Canadian patent for a 2×2×2 "Puzzle with Pieces Rotatable in Groups". Nichols's cube was held together with magnets which could be easily pulled apart. Nichols was granted US patent 3655201 on April 11, 1972. Around the same time [[Uwe Mèffert]] was experimenting with slicing polyhedra into symmetric slices and attaching them with rubber bands to a center ball, but his puzzles end up in a drawer until 1981 when he released the [[Pyraminx]].
  
On April 9, 1970, Frank Fox applied to patent his "Spherical 3×3×3". He received his UK patent (1344259) on January 16, 1974.
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Erno Rubik invented his "Magic Cube" in 1974 and obtained Hungarian patent HU170062 for the Magic Cube in 1975 but did not take out international patents. The first test batches of the product were produced in late 1977 and released to Budapest toy shops. The Magic Cube was held together with interlocking plastic pieces and was thus much superior to Nichols's design. In September 1979, a deal was signed with the [[Ideal Toys|Ideal Toy Company]] to bring the Magic Cube to the Western world, and the puzzle made its international debut at the toy fairs of London, Paris, and New York in January and February 1980. A lighter cube was produced, and the Ideal Toy Company decided to rename it "Rubik's Cube", since they needed a distinctive name they could  trademark.
  
Rubik invented his "[[wikt:magic cube|Magic Cube]]" in 1974 and obtained Hungarian patent HU170062 for the Magic Cube in 1975 but did not take out international patents.  The first test batches of the product were produced in late 1977 and released to [[Budapest]] toy shops. Magic Cube was held together with interlocking plastic pieces that were less expensive to produce than the magnets in Nichols's design. In September 1979, a deal was signed with Ideal Toys to bring the Magic Cube to the Western world, and the puzzle made its international debut at the toy fairs of London, Paris, [[Nuremberg International Toy Fair|Nuremberg]] and New York in January and February 1980.
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The first batches were exported from Hungary in May 1980. It quickly became a huge craze, peaking in 1981, and only ending in late 1982. Numerous other puzzles appeared in its wake, including the 4×4×4 Rubik's Revenge, and Uwe Mèffert's Pyraminx. Taking advantage of an initial shortage of Cubes (and no international patent), many cheap imitations of Rubik's Cube also appeared.
  
After its international debut, the progress of the Cube towards the toy shop shelves of the West was briefly halted so that it could be manufactured to [[Western world|Western]] safety and packaging specifications. A lighter Cube was produced, and Ideal Toys decided to rename it. "[[Gordian Knot|The Gordian Knot]]" and "Inca Gold" were considered, but the company finally decided on "Rubik's Cube", and the first batch was exported from [[Hungary]] in May 1980.  Taking advantage of an initial shortage of Cubes, many cheap imitations appeared.
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Nichols assigned his patent to his employer, the Moleculon Research Corporation, which sued the Ideal Toy Company in 1982. In 1984, Ideal lost the patent infringement suit and appealed. In 1986, the appeals court overturned the judgment on Rubik's 3×3×3 Cube and allowed that only Rubik's 2×2×2 Pocket Cube infringed Nichols's patent.
  
Nichols assigned his patent to his employer Moleculon Research Corp., which sued Ideal Toy Company in 1982.  In 1984, Ideal lost the patent infringement suit and appealed.  In 1986, the appeals court affirmed the judgment that Rubik's 2×2×2 Pocket Cube infringed Nichols's patent, but overturned the judgment on Rubik's 3×3×3 Cube.<ref>[http://digital-law-online.info/cases/229PQ805.htm Moleculon Research Corporation v. CBS, Inc.]</ref>
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Even while Rubik's patent application was being processed, Terutoshi Ishigi, a self-taught engineer and ironworks owner near Tokyo, filed for a Japanese patent for a nearly identical mechanism and was granted patent JP55‒8192 (1976); Ishigi's is generally accepted as an independent reinvention.
  
Even while Rubik's patent application was being processed, Terutoshi Ishigi, a self-taught engineer and ironworks owner near Tokyo, filed for a Japanese patent for a nearly identical mechanism and was granted patent JP55‒8192 (1976); Ishigi's is generally accepted as an independent reinvention.<ref>
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In 2004 Greek inventor Panagiotis Verdes patented a method of creating cubes beyond the 5×5×5, up to [[11×11×11]]. His designs also included improved mechanisms for the [[3×3×3]], [[4×4×4]], and [[5×5×5]]. In June 2008, the first ever [[6x6x6]], and [[7x7x7]] cubes became available on the V-Cube Official website.
{{cite book
 
|author = Hofstadter, Douglas R.
 
|title = Metamagical Themas
 
|publisher = Basic Books
 
|year = 1985
 
}}Hofstadter gives the name as "Ishige".</ref><ref>http://cubeman.org/cchrono.txt</ref><ref>[http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa040497.htm The History of Rubik's Cube - Erno Rubik<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
 
 
 
Rubik applied for another Hungarian patent on [[October 28]], [[1980]], and applied for other patents. In the United States, Rubik was granted {{US patent|4378116}} on [[March 29]], [[1983]], for the Cube.
 
 
 
Greek inventor Panagiotis Verdes patented a method of creating cubes beyond the 5×5×5, up to 11×11×11. His designs, which include improved mechanisms for the 3×3×3, 4×4×4, and 5×5×5, are suitable for [[speedcubing]], whereas existing designs for cubes larger than 5×5×5 are prone to breakAs of [[June 19]], [[2008]], 5x5x5, 6x6x6, and 7x7x7 models are available.
 
  
 
==Workings==
 
==Workings==
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A standard cube measures approximately 2¼ inches (5.7 cm) on each side.  The puzzle consists of the twenty-six unique miniature cubes on the surface. However, the centre cube of each face is merely a single square façade; all are affixed to the core mechanisms.  These provide structure for the other pieces to fit into and rotate around. So there are twenty-one pieces: a single [[core]] piece consisting of three intersecting axes holding the six [[centre]] squares in place but letting them rotate, and twenty smaller plastic pieces which fit into it to form the assembled puzzle. A Cube can be taken apart without much difficulty, usually by removing center caps and using a screwdriver. It is a very simple process to solve a Cube by taking it apart and reassembling it in a solved state. There are twelve edge pieces which show two coloured sides each, and eight corner pieces which show three colours. Each piece shows a unique colour combination, but not all combinations are present (for example, if red and orange are on opposite sides of the solved Cube, there is no edge piece with both red and orange sides).
  
[[Image:Disassembled-rubix-1.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Rubik's Cube partially disassembled.]]
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For most recent cubes, the colours of the stickers are red opposite orange, yellow opposite white, and green opposite blue. However, cubes with alternative colour schemes also exist; for example, they might have the yellow face opposite the green, and the blue face opposite the white (with red and orange opposite faces remaining unchanged).
 
 
A standard cube measures approximately 2¼ inches (5.7 cm) on each side.
 
The puzzle consists of the twenty-six unique miniature cubes on the surface. However, the centre cube of each face is merely a single square façade; all are affixed to the core mechanisms.  These provide structure for the other pieces to fit into and rotate around. So there are twenty-one pieces: a single core piece consisting of three intersecting axes holding the six centre squares in place but letting them rotate, and twenty smaller plastic pieces which fit into it to form the assembled puzzle. The Cube can be taken apart without much difficulty, typically by turning one side through a 45° angle and prying an edge cube away from a centre cube until it dislodges. However, as prying loose a corner cube is a good way to break off a centre cube — thus ruining the Cube — it is far safer to lever a centre cube out using a screwdriver.  It is a very simple process to solve a Cube by taking it apart and reassembling it in a solved state. There are twelve edge pieces which show two coloured sides each, and eight corner pieces which show three colours. Each piece shows a unique colour combination, but not all combinations are present (for example, if red and orange are on opposite sides of the solved Cube, there is no edge piece with both red and orange sides). The location of these cubes relative to one another can be altered by twisting an outer third of the Cube 90°, 180° or 270°, but the location of the coloured sides relative to one another in the completed state of the puzzle cannot be altered: it is fixed by the relative positions of the centre squares and the distribution of colour combinations on edge and corner pieces.
 
 
 
For most recent Cubes, the colours of the stickers are red opposite orange, yellow opposite white, and green opposite blue. However, Cubes with alternative colour arrangements also exist; for example, they might have the yellow face opposite the green, and the blue face opposite the white (with red and orange opposite faces remaining unchanged).
 
 
 
Douglas R. Hofstader, in the July 1982 ''Scientific American'', pointed out that Cubes could be coloured in such a way as to emphasise the corners or edges, rather than the faces as the standard colouring does; but neither of these alternative colourings has ever been produced commercially.{{cn|date=July 2008}}
 
  
 
===Permutations===
 
===Permutations===
A normal (3×3×3) Rubik's Cube has eight corners and twelve edges. There are [[factorial|8!]] ways to arrange the corner cubies. Seven can be oriented independently, and the orientation of the eighth depends on the preceding seven, giving 3<sup>7</sup> possibilities. There are 12!/2 ways to arrange the edges, since an odd permutation of the corners implies an odd permutation of the edges as well. Eleven edges can be flipped independently, with the flip of the twelfth depending on the preceding ones, giving 2<sup>11</sup> possibilities.<ref>Martin Schönert ''[http://www.gap-system.org/Doc/Examples/rubik.html "Analyzing Rubik's Cube with GAP"]'': the [[permutation group]] of Rubik's Cube is examined with [[GAP computer algebra system]]</ref>  
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A normal (3×3×3) Rubik's Cube has eight corners and twelve edges. There are <tex>8!</tex> ways to arrange the corner cubies. Seven can be oriented independently, and the orientation of the eighth depends on the preceding seven, giving <tex>3^7</tex> possibilities. There are <tex>12!/2</tex> ways to arrange the edges, since an odd permutation of the corners implies an odd permutation of the edges as well. Eleven edges can be flipped independently, with the flip of the twelfth depending on the preceding ones, giving <tex>2^{11}</tex> possibilities.
:<math>  {8! \cdot 3^7 \cdot 12! \cdot 2^{10}} \approx 4.33 \cdot 10^{19}</math>
 
  
There are exactly 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possibilities. In other words, there are forty-three [[quintillion]] ([[short scale]]) or forty-three trillion ([[long scale]]). The puzzle is often advertised as having only "[[1000000000 (number)|billions]]" of positions, as the larger numbers could be regarded as incomprehensible to many. To put this into perspective, if every permutation of a 57-[[millimeter]] Rubik's Cube were lined up end to end, it would stretch out approximately 261 [[light years]].
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There are exactly <tex>43,252,003,274,489,856,000</tex> possibilities. In other words, there are forty-three quintillion or forty-three trillion possibilities. The puzzle is often advertised as having only billions of positions, as the larger numbers could be regarded as incomprehensible to many. To put this into perspective, if every permutation of a 57-millimeter Rubik's Cube were lined up end to end, it would stretch out approximately 261 light years.
  
The preceding figure is limited to permutations that can be reached solely by turning the sides of the cube. If one considers permuations reached through disassembly of the cube, the number becomes twelve times as large:
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The preceding figure is limited to permutations that can be reached solely by turning the sides of the cube. If one considers permuations reached through disassembly of the cube, the number becomes twelve times as large. The full number is <tex>519,024,039,293,878,272,000</tex> or 519 quintillion possible arrangements of the pieces that make up the Cube, but only one in twelve of these are actually solveable. This is because there is no sequence of moves that will swap a single pair of pieces or rotate a single corner or edge cube. Thus there are twelve possible sets of reachable configurations, sometimes called "universes" or "orbits", into which the cube can be placed by dismantling and reassembling it.
:<math> {8! \cdot 3^8 \cdot 12! \cdot 2^{12}} \approx 5.19 \cdot 10^{20}</math>
 
  
The full number is 519,024,039,293,878,272,000 or 519 [[quintillion]] (on the [[short scale]]) possible arrangements of the pieces that make up the Cube, but only one in twelve of these are actually solveable. This is because there is no sequence of moves that will swap a single pair of pieces or rotate a single corner or edge cube. Thus there are twelve possible sets of reachable configurations, sometimes called "universes" or "[[orbit (group theory)|orbits]]", into which the Cube can be placed by dismantling and reassembling it.
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Despite the vast number of positions, all Cubes can be solved in twenty or fewer moves.
  
Despite the vast number of positions, all Cubes can be solved in twenty-five or fewer moves (see [[Optimal solutions for Rubik's Cube]]).
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The large number of permutations is often given as a measure of the Rubik's cube's complexity. However, the puzzle's difficulty does not necessarily follow from the large number of permutations.
<ref name=D.Kunkle>
 
{{cite conference
 
  | first = D.
 
  | last = Kunkle
 
  | coauthors = Cooperman, C.
 
  | title = Twenty-Six Moves Suffice for Rubik's Cube
 
  | booktitle = Proceedings of the International Symposium on Symbolic and Algebraic Computation (ISSAC '07)
 
  | year = 2007
 
  | publisher = ACM Press
 
  | url = http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/gene/papers/rubik.pdf
 
}}
 
</ref>
 
<ref>
 
{{cite conference
 
  | last = KFC
 
  | title = Rubik’s cube proof cut to 25 moves
 
  | year = 2008
 
  | url = http://arxivblog.com/?p=332
 
}}
 
</ref>
 
The large number of permutations is often given as a measure of the Rubik's cube's complexity. However, the puzzle's difficulty does not necessarily follow from the large number of permutations. The problem of putting the 26 letters of the alphabet in alphabetical order has a larger complexity (26! = 4.03 × 10<sup>26</sup> possible orderings), but is less difficult.
 
  
===Centre faces===
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===Centre pieces===
The original (official) Rubik's Cube has no orientation markings on the centre faces, although some carried the words "Rubik's Cube" on the centre square of the white face, and therefore solving it does not require any attention to orienting those faces correctly. However, if one has a marker pen, one could, for example, mark the central squares of an unshuffled Cube with four coloured marks on each edge, each corresponding to the colour of the adjacent face. Some Cubes have also been produced commercially with markings on all of the squares, such as the [[Lo Shu Square|Lo Shu]] [[magic square]] or [[playing card]] [[suit (cards)|suit]]s. Thus one can scramble and then unscramble the Cube yet have the markings on the centers rotated, and it becomes an additional test to "solve" the centers as well. This is known as "supercubing"{{Fact|date=September 2007}}.
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The original (official) Rubik's Cube has no orientation markings on the centre pieces, although some carried the words "Rubik's Cube" on the centre sticker of the white face, and therefore solving it does not require any attention to orienting those faces correctly. However, if one has a marker pen, one could, for example, mark the centre pieces of a solved cube with four coloured marks on each edge, each corresponding to the colour of the adjacent face. Some cubes have also been produced commercially with markings on all of the squares, such as the Lo Shu magic square or playing card suits. Thus one can scramble and then unscramble the cube yet have the markings on the centers rotated, and it becomes an additional test to "solve" the centers as well. This is known as "supercubing".
  
Putting markings on the Rubik's Cube increases the difficulty mainly because it expands the set of distinguishable possible configurations. When the Cube is unscrambled apart from the orientations of the central squares, there will always be an even number of squares requiring a quarter turn.  Thus there are 4<sup>6</sup>/2 = 2,048 possible configurations of the centre squares in the otherwise unscrambled position, increasing the total number of possible Cube permutations from 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 (4.3×10<sup>19</sup>) to 88,580,102,706,155,225,088,000 (8.9×10<sup>22</sup>).
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Putting markings on the Rubik's Cube increases the difficulty mainly because it expands the set of distinguishable possible configurations. When the cube is unscrambled apart from the orientations of the central squares, there will always be an even number of squares requiring a quarter turn.  Thus there are <tex>4^6/2 = 2,048</tex> possible configurations of the centre squares in the otherwise unscrambled position, increasing the total number of possible Cube permutations from 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 to 88,580,102,706,155,225,088,000.
  
 
==Solutions==
 
==Solutions==
{{wikibooks|How to solve the Rubik's Cube}}
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Many general solutions for the Rubik's Cube have been discovered independently. The most popular method was developed by [[David Singmaster]] and published in the book ''Notes on Rubik's "Magic Cube"'' in 1979. This solution involves solving the cube [[layer by layer]], in which one layer, designated the top, is solved first, followed by the middle layer, and then the final and bottom layer. After practice, solving the cube layer by layer can be done in under one minute. Most tutorials teach the layer by layer method, as it gives an easy-to-understand step-by-step guide on how to solve it. Though, other general solutions include "[[corners first]]" methods or combinations of several other methods, one method of which was produced by the Ideal Toy Company itself, being called ''[[The Ideal Solution]]''.
  
Many general solutions for the Rubik's Cube have been discovered independently. The most popular method was developed by [[David Singmaster]] and published in the book ''Notes on Rubik's "Magic Cube"'' in 1981. This solution involves solving the Cube layer by layer, in which one layer, designated the top, is solved first, followed by the middle layer, and then the final and bottom layer. After practice, solving the Cube layer by layer can be done in under one minute. Other general solutions include "corners first" methods or combinations of several other methods.
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Speedcubing solutions have been developed for solving the Rubik's Cube as quickly as possible. The most common speedcubing solution, [[CFOP]] was developed by cubers in the Netherlands and Czechoslovakia in the early 1980s. It was later popularised by [[Jessica Fridrich]] (and was often called the '''Fridrich method'''). It is a very efficient layer-by-layer method that requires a large number of algorithms, especially for orienting and permuting the last layer. The first-layer corners and second layer are done simultaneously, with each corner paired up with a second-layer edge piece. Another well-known method ([[Petrus method]]) was developed by [[Lars Petrus]]. In this method, a 2×2×2 section is solved first, followed by a 2×2×3, and then the incorrect edges are solved using a three-move algorithm, which eliminates the need for a possible 32-move algorithm later.
Most tutorials teach the layer by layer method, as it gives an easy-to-understand step-by-step guide on how to solve it.
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This method tends to give solutions in fewer moves and was popular for fewest move competitions. In 2003 [[Gilles Roux]] developed the [[Roux method]], which has since become the main alternative to CFOP.
  
Speedcubing solutions have been developed for solving the Rubik's Cube as quickly as possible. The most common speedcubing solution was developed by [[Jessica Fridrich]]. It is a very efficient layer-by-layer method that requires a large number of algorithms (see below), especially for orienting and permuting the last layer. The first-layer corners and second layer are done simultaneously, with each corner paired up with a second-layer edge piece. Another well-known method was developed by [[Lars Petrus]]. In this method, a 2×2×2 section is solved first, followed by a 2×2×3, and then the incorrect edges are solved using a three-move algorithm, which eliminates the need for a possible 32-move algorithm later. 
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Solutions follow a series of steps and include a set of algorithms for solving each step. An algorithm, also known as a process or an operator, is a series of twists that accomplishes a particular goal. For instance, one algorithm might switch the locations of three corner pieces, while leaving the rest of the pieces in place. Basic solutions require learning as few as four or five algorithms but are generally inefficient, needing around 100 turns on average to solve an entire Cube. In comparison, CFOP requires learning roughly 120 algorithms but allows the Cube to be solved in only 55 moves on average. A different kind of solution ([[Heise method]]) developed by Ryan Heise uses no algorithms but rather teaches a set of underlying principles that can be used to solve in fewer than 40 moves.
One of the advantages of this method is that it tends to give solutions in fewer moves. For this reason, the method is also popular for fewest move competitions.
 
  
Solutions follow a series of steps and include a set of algorithms for solving each step. An algorithm, also known as a process or an operator, is a series of twists that accomplishes a particular goal. For instance, one algorithm might switch the locations of three corner pieces, while leaving the rest of the pieces in place. Basic solutions require learning as few as four or five algorithms but are generally inefficient, needing around 100 twists on average to solve an entire Cube. In comparison, [[Fridrich Method|Fridrich's advanced solution]] requires learning roughly 120 algorithms but allows the Cube to be solved in only 55 moves on average. A different kind of solution developed by Ryan Heise<ref>[http://www.ryanheise.com/cube/ Ryan Heise's method]</ref> uses no algorithms but rather teaches a set of underlying principles that can be used to solve in fewer than 40 moves. A number of complete solutions can also be found in any of the books listed in the bibliography, and most can be used to solve any Cube in under five minutes.
 
 
=== Algorithms ===
 
=== Algorithms ===
In Rubik's cubists' parlance, an ''algorithm'' means "a memorized sequence of moves whose effect on the cube is known".  This fully conforms with the mathematical and logical use of [[algorithm]] defined as ''a list of well-defined instructions for completing a task from a given initial state, through well-defined successive states, to a desired end-state''.  A Rubik's cube algorithm transforms the state of the cube in such a way that a small part of the cube becomes solved without "scrambling" any parts that have previously been solved, or else places the cube in a state from which the solver knows it can now be partly, or fully, solved by the application of further algorithms.
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In cubers' parlance, an ''algorithm'' means "a memorized sequence of moves whose effect on the cube is known".  This fully conforms with the mathematical and logical use of [[algorithm]] defined as ''a list of well-defined instructions for completing a task from a given initial state, through well-defined successive states, to a desired end-state''.  A Rubik's Cube algorithm transforms the state of the cube in such a way that a small part of the cube becomes solved without "scrambling" any parts that have previously been solved, or else places the cube in a state from which the solver knows it can now be partly, or fully, solved by the application of further algorithms.
 
 
For instance, if we label the six sides of a cube like the six sides of a die, the sequence  of movements 116622553344 will have a definite effect, namely, it will transform a solved cube into a cube with an "X" design in each face. More complicated sequences of movements will have more useful results, such as swapping three corners of the third layer without moving any other pieces. The sequences that are useful to solve the cube are called "algorithms".
 
  
 
=== The search for optimal solutions ===
 
=== The search for optimal solutions ===
{{main|Optimal solutions for Rubik's Cube}}
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The manual solution methods described above are intended to be easy to learn, but much effort has gone into finding optimal solutions to the Rubik's Cube. The maximum theoretical number of moves required to solve a Rubik's Cube is known as [[God's Number]].
The manual solution methods described above are intended to be easy to learn, but much effort has gone into finding even faster solutions to the Rubik's Cube.  
 
  
 
In 1982, David Singmaster and Alexander Frey hypothesized that the number of moves needed to solve the Rubik's Cube, given an ideal algorithm, might be in "the low twenties".  In 2007, Daniel Kunkle and Gene Cooperman used computer search methods to demonstrate that any 3×3×3 Rubik's Cube configuration can be solved in a maximum of 26 moves.  
 
In 1982, David Singmaster and Alexander Frey hypothesized that the number of moves needed to solve the Rubik's Cube, given an ideal algorithm, might be in "the low twenties".  In 2007, Daniel Kunkle and Gene Cooperman used computer search methods to demonstrate that any 3×3×3 Rubik's Cube configuration can be solved in a maximum of 26 moves.  
<ref name=D.Kunkle />
 
<ref>{{cite web
 
|url=http://blog.sciencenews.org/mathtrek/2007/08/cracking_the_cube.html
 
|title=Cracking the Cube
 
|author=Julie J. Rehmeyer
 
|publisher=MathTrek
 
|accessdate=2007-08-09}}
 
</ref>
 
In 2008, Tomas Rokicki lowered the maximum to 22 moves.
 
<ref>{{cite web
 
|url=http://arxiv.org/abs/0803.3435
 
|title=Twenty-Five Moves Suffice for Rubik's Cube
 
|author=Tom Rokicki
 
|accessdate=2008-03-24}}
 
</ref>
 
<ref>{{cite web
 
|url=http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/06/05/2054249
 
|title=Rubik's Cube Algorithm Cut Again, Down to 23 Moves
 
|publisher=[http://slashdot.org ''Slashdot'']
 
|accessdate=2008-06-05}}
 
</ref>
 
<ref>{{cite web
 
|url=http://cubezzz.homelinux.org/drupal/?q=node/view/121
 
|title=Twenty-Two Moves Suffice
 
|author=Tom Rokicki
 
|accessdate=2008-08-20}}
 
</ref>
 
Work continues to try to reduce the upper bound on optimal solutions.
 
The arrangement known as the super-flip, where every edge is in its correct position but flipped, requires 20 moves to be solved (Using the [[#move notations|notations]] explained below, these are: U R2 F B R B2 R U2 L B2 R U' D' R2 F R' L B2 U2 F2.).  No arrangement of the Rubik's Cube has been discovered so far that requires more than 20 moves to solve.
 
 
===Move notation===
 
[[Image:Rubik's cube.svg|thumb|right|200px|Rubik's Cube in a tilted state.]]
 
[[Image:Rubiks cube solved.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Rubik's Cube in solved state.]]
 
 
Most 3×3×3 Rubik's Cube solution guides use the same notation, originated by David Singmaster, to communicate sequences of moves. This is generally referred to as "cube notation" or in some literature "Singmaster notation" (or variations thereof), or sometimes (but rarely) it is called "direction inferred notation" or "DIN". Its relative nature allows [[algorithms]] to be written in such a way that they can be applied regardless of which side is designated the top or how the colours are organized on a particular cube.
 
 
*''F'' (Front): the side currently facing you
 
*''B'' (Back): the side opposite the front
 
*''U'' (Up): the side above or on top of the front side
 
*''D'' (Down): the side opposite the top, underneath the Cube
 
*''L'' (Left): the side directly to the left of the front
 
*''R'' (Right): the side directly to the right of the front
 
*''f'' (Front two layers): the side facing you and the corresponding middle layer
 
*''b'' (Back two layers): the side opposite the front and the corresponding middle layer
 
*''u'' (Up two layers) : the top side and the corresponding middle layer
 
*''d'' (Down two layers) : the bottom layer and the corresponding middle layer
 
*''l'' (Left two layers) : the side to the left of the front and the corresponding middle layer
 
*''r'' (Right two layers) : the side to the right of the front and the corresponding middle layer
 
*''x'' (rotate): rotate the Cube up
 
*''y'' (rotate): rotate the Cube to the left
 
*''z'' (rotate): rotate the Cube on its side to the right
 
 
When an apostrophe follows a letter, it means to turn the face counter-clockwise a quarter-turn, while a letter without an apostrophe means to turn it a quarter-turn clockwise. Such an apostrophe mark is pronounced ''prime''. A letter followed by a 2 (occasionally a superscript ²) means to turn the face a half-turn (the direction does not matter). So ''R'' is right side clockwise, but ''R''' is right side counter-clockwise. When ''x'', ''y'' or ''z'' are primed, simply rotate the cube in the opposite direction. When they are squared, rotate it twice. For 'z', you should still be viewing the same front face when rotating.
 
  
This notation can also be used on the Pocket Cube, the Revenge, and the Professor, with additional notation. They not only have the ''F'', ''B'', ''L'', ''R'', ''U'', ''D'' notation but also ''f'', ''b'', ''l'', ''r'', ''u'', ''d''. For example: ''(Rr)' l2 f'''
+
In 2008, Tomas Rokicki lowered the maximum to 22 moves. In July 2010 Tomas Rokicki, Herbert Kociemba, Morley Davidson, and John Dethridge proved that God's Number is exactly 20.
  
(Some solution guides, including Ideal's official publication, ''The Ideal Solution'', use slightly different conventions. Top and Bottom are used rather than Up and Down for the top and bottom faces, with Back being replaced by Posterior. '+' indicates clockwise rotation and '-' counter-clockwise, with '++' representing a half-turn. However, alternative notations failed to catch on, and today the Singmaster scheme is used universally by those interested in the puzzle.)
+
The arrangement known as the super-flip, where every edge is in its correct position but flipped, requires 20 moves to be solved (Using the official [[notation]], these are: U R2 F B R B2 R U2 L B2 R U' D' R2 F R' L B2 U2 F2).  
 
 
Less-often used moves include rotating the entire Cube or two-thirds of it. The letters ''x'', ''y'', and ''z'' are used to indicate that the entire Cube should be turned about one of its axes. The ''x''-axis is the line that passes through the left and right faces, the ''y''-axis is the line that passes through the up and down faces, and the ''z''-axis is the line that passes through the front and back faces. (This type of move is used infrequently in most solutions, to the extent that some solutions simply say "stop and turn the whole cube upside-down" or something similar at the appropriate point.)
 
 
 
However there is another (less common) system of move notation. It is very similar to cube notation, but has a key difference that makes it less daunting to new cube solvers. It is called "direction displayed notation" or "DDN". Each move is represented by two letters. The first
 
indicates which side is to be moved, the second indicates which direction that side is turned. from the ''F'' point of view.
 
 
 
*''F'' (Front): The side facing you. "R" means turn it right or clockwise. "L" means turn it left or counter-clockwise.
 
*''U'' (Up): The side on top. "R" means turn it right (from the F perspective). "L" means turn it left (from the F perspective).
 
*''D'' (Down): The side on the bottom. "R" means turn it right (from the F perspective). "L" means turn it left (from the F perspective).
 
*''R'' (Right): The side to right. "D" means turn it downward (from the F perspective). "U" means turn it upward (from the F perspective).
 
*''L'' (Left): "D" means turn it downward (from the F perspective). "U" means turn it upward (from the F perspective).
 
 
 
*''B'' (Back): The side opposite from the side facing you. This side is hardly ever used in algorithms of any notation let alone direction displayed notation. However if you need to know, first turn the entire cube so that the ''B'' side faces you then rotate it as if you were rotating the ''F'' side. "R" means turn it right or clockwise. "L" means turn it left or counter-clockwise.
 
 
 
To indicate a half move just put a 2 at the end of the first letter. To indicate rotation of the cube as a whole, use the same notation for direction displayed notation as one would for Singmaster notation. (''x'' ''y'' ''z'') 
 
 
 
Lowercase letters ''f'', ''b'', ''u'', ''d'', ''l'', and ''r'' signify to move the first ''two'' layers of that face while keeping the remaining layer in place. This is of course equivalent to rotating the whole cube in that direction, then rotating the opposite face back the same amount in the opposite direction, but is useful notation to describe certain triggers for speedcubing. Furthermore, ''M'', ''E'', and ''S'' (and respectively their lowercase for larger sized cubes) are used for inner-slice movements. ''M'' signifies turning the layer that is between ''L'' and ''R'' downward (clockwise if looking from the left side). ''E'' signifies turning the layer between ''U'' and ''D'' towards the right (counter-clockwise if looking from the top). ''S'' signifies turning the layer between ''F'' and ''B'' clockwise.
 
 
 
For example, the [[algorithm]] (or operator, or sequence) ''F2 U' R' L F2 R L' U' F2'', which cycles three edge cubes in the top layer without affecting any other part of the cube, means:
 
 
 
#Turn the Front face 180 degrees.
 
#Turn the Up face 90 degrees counter-clockwise.
 
#Turn the Right face 90 degrees counter-clockwise.
 
#Turn the Left face 90 degrees clockwise.
 
#Turn the Front face 180 degrees.
 
#Turn the Right face 90 degrees clockwise.
 
#Turn the Left face 90 degrees counter-clockwise.
 
#Turn the Up face 90 degrees counter-clockwise.
 
#Finally, turn the Front face 180 degrees.
 
 
 
For beginning students of the Cube, this notation can be daunting, and many solutions available online therefore incorporate animations that demonstrate the [[algorithm]]s presented.
 
 
 
4×4×4 and larger cubes use slightly different notation to incorporate the middle layers. Generally speaking, uppercase letters (''F    B U D L R'') refer to the outermost portions of the cube (called faces). Lowercase letters (''f b u d l r'') refer to the inner portions of the cube (called slices). Again Ideal breaks rank by describing their 4×4×4 solution in terms of layers (vertical slices that rotate about the ''z''-axis), tables (horizontal slices), and books (vertical slices that rotate about the ''x''-axis).
 
  
 
===Competitions and record times===
 
===Competitions and record times===
  
Many [[speedcubing]] competitions have been held to determine who can solve the Rubik's Cube in the shortest time. The number of contests is going up every year; there were 72 official competitions from 2003 to 2006; 33 were in 2006 alone.   
+
Many [[speedcubing]] competitions have been held to determine who can solve the Rubik's Cube in the shortest time. The number of contests going up every year: there were 72 official competitions from 2003 to 2006; 33 were in 2006 alone.   
  
The first world championship organized by the ''Guinness Book of World Records'' was held in [[Munich]] on [[March 13]], [[1981]]. All Cubes were moved 40 times and rubbed with [[petroleum jelly]]. The official winner, with a record of 38 seconds, was Jury Froeschl, born in [[Munich]].
+
The first speedcubing competition took place in Hungary in January 1980, which Viktor T. Toth won with a time of 55 seconds.
  
The first international world championship was held in [[Budapest]] on [[June 5]], [[1982]], and was won by [[Minh Thai]], a Vietnamese student from [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], with a time of 22.95 seconds.  
+
The [[WC1982|first world championship]] was held in Budapest on June 5, 1982, and was won by [[Minh Thai]], a Vietnamese student from Los Angeles, California, with a time of 22.95 seconds.  
  
Since 2003, competitions are decided by the best average (middle three of five attempts); but the single best time of all tries is also recorded.  
+
Since 2003, competitions are decided by the best average of 5, dropping the best and worst time and averaging the middle 3 solves. The [[World Cube Association]] maintains a database of all World Cube Association official attempts. In 2004, the WCA made it mandatory to use a special timing device called a Stackmat timer.
The [[World Cube Association]] maintains a history of world records
 
<ref>
 
{{cite web
 
|title=World Cube Association Official Results
 
|publisher=[http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/ ''World Cube Association'']
 
|url=http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/regions.php?regionId=&eventId=333&years=&history=History
 
|accessdate=2008-02-16}}
 
</ref>.
 
In 2004, the WCA made it mandatory to use a special timing device called a [[Stackmat timer]].
 
  
The [http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/regions.php current world record] for single time is set by [[Erik Akkersdijk]] in 2008, he set a best time of 7.08 at the Czech Open 2008. The world record average solve is by Yu Nakajima, when he set a world record average of 11.28 seconds on [[May 4]], [[2008]].
+
=== Alternative competitions ===
 
+
In addition, alternative competitions are held (these are official WCA recognised events). These include:
===Alternative competitions===
 
 
 
In addition, informal alternative competitions have been held, inviting participants to solve the Cube under unusual situations. These include:
 
 
*Blindfolded solving
 
*Blindfolded solving
 
[http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/events.php?eventId=333bf&regionId=&years=&show=100%2BPersons&single=Single Rubik's 3x3x3 Cube: Blindfolded records]
 
[http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/events.php?eventId=333bf&regionId=&years=&show=100%2BPersons&single=Single Rubik's 3x3x3 Cube: Blindfolded records]
*Solving the Cube with one person blindfolded and the other person saying what moves to do, known as "Team Blindfold"
+
*Solving the Cube using a single hand
*Solving the Cube underwater in a single breath
+
[http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/events.php?eventId=333oh&regionId=&years=&show=100%2BPersons&single=Single Rubik's 3x3x3 Cube: One-handed]
[http://www.speedcubing.com/records/recs_fun_underwater.html Rubik's Cube 3x3x3: Underwater]
 
*Solving the Cube using a single hand[
 
http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/events.php?eventId=333oh&regionId=&years=&show=100%2BPersons&single=Single Rubik's 3x3x3 Cube: One-handed]
 
 
*Solving the Cube with one's feet
 
*Solving the Cube with one's feet
 
[http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/events.php?eventId=333ft&regionId=&years=only%2B2006&show=100%2BPersons&single=Single Rubik's 3x3x3 Cube: With feet]
 
[http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/events.php?eventId=333ft&regionId=&years=only%2B2006&show=100%2BPersons&single=Single Rubik's 3x3x3 Cube: With feet]
  
Of these informal competitions, the World Cube Association only sanctions blindfolded, one-handed, and feet solving as official competition events.{{cite web
+
== See also ==
|url=http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/regulations/#events
+
* [[FAQ]]
|title=Competition Regulations, Article 9: Events
+
* [[History of cubing]]
|publisher=World Cube Association
+
* [[:Category:Puzzle theory]]
|date = 2008-04-09
+
* [[:Category:Puzzle notations]]
|accessdate=2008-04-16}}
+
* [[:Category:Puzzle hardware]]
 +
* [[:Category:Terminology]]
 +
* [[:Category:Methods and substeps]]
 +
 
 +
[[Category:Resources]]

Revision as of 19:14, 4 July 2019

The Rubik's Cube is a mechanical puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. Originally called the "Magic Cube" by its inventor, this puzzle was renamed "Rubik's Cube" by the Ideal Toy Company in 1980 and won the German Game of the Year special award for Best Puzzle that year. It is said to be the world's best-selling toy, with over 300,000,000 Rubik's Cubes and imitations sold worldwide.

In a classic 3×3×3 Rubik's Cube, each of the six faces is covered by 9 stickers, among six solid colours (traditionally being white, yellow, orange, red, blue, and green). A pivot mechanism enables each face to turn independently, thus mixing up the colours. For the puzzle to be solved, each face must be a solid colour.

Three size variations first produced in the 1980s were the 2×2×2 (Pocket Cube), the 4×4×4 (Rubik's Revenge, or Master Cube), and the 5×5×5 (Professor's Cube). In the 2000s, larger sizes appeared on the market (beginning with the V-Cube 6 and V-Cube 7). All of these items belong to a broad category of puzzles commonly referred to as "twisty puzzles".

For readability, 3×3×3 is frequently abbreviated 3×3 (and similarly for the other sizes) when there is no ambiguity. Common misspellings include "rubix cube", "rubics cube", "rubick's cube", and "rubiks cube".

Conception and development

In March 1970, Larry Nichols filed a Canadian patent for a 2×2×2 "Puzzle with Pieces Rotatable in Groups". Nichols's cube was held together with magnets which could be easily pulled apart. Nichols was granted US patent 3655201 on April 11, 1972. Around the same time Uwe Mèffert was experimenting with slicing polyhedra into symmetric slices and attaching them with rubber bands to a center ball, but his puzzles end up in a drawer until 1981 when he released the Pyraminx.

Erno Rubik invented his "Magic Cube" in 1974 and obtained Hungarian patent HU170062 for the Magic Cube in 1975 but did not take out international patents. The first test batches of the product were produced in late 1977 and released to Budapest toy shops. The Magic Cube was held together with interlocking plastic pieces and was thus much superior to Nichols's design. In September 1979, a deal was signed with the Ideal Toy Company to bring the Magic Cube to the Western world, and the puzzle made its international debut at the toy fairs of London, Paris, and New York in January and February 1980. A lighter cube was produced, and the Ideal Toy Company decided to rename it "Rubik's Cube", since they needed a distinctive name they could trademark.

The first batches were exported from Hungary in May 1980. It quickly became a huge craze, peaking in 1981, and only ending in late 1982. Numerous other puzzles appeared in its wake, including the 4×4×4 Rubik's Revenge, and Uwe Mèffert's Pyraminx. Taking advantage of an initial shortage of Cubes (and no international patent), many cheap imitations of Rubik's Cube also appeared.

Nichols assigned his patent to his employer, the Moleculon Research Corporation, which sued the Ideal Toy Company in 1982. In 1984, Ideal lost the patent infringement suit and appealed. In 1986, the appeals court overturned the judgment on Rubik's 3×3×3 Cube and allowed that only Rubik's 2×2×2 Pocket Cube infringed Nichols's patent.

Even while Rubik's patent application was being processed, Terutoshi Ishigi, a self-taught engineer and ironworks owner near Tokyo, filed for a Japanese patent for a nearly identical mechanism and was granted patent JP55‒8192 (1976); Ishigi's is generally accepted as an independent reinvention.

In 2004 Greek inventor Panagiotis Verdes patented a method of creating cubes beyond the 5×5×5, up to 11×11×11. His designs also included improved mechanisms for the 3×3×3, 4×4×4, and 5×5×5. In June 2008, the first ever 6x6x6, and 7x7x7 cubes became available on the V-Cube Official website.

Workings

A standard cube measures approximately 2¼ inches (5.7 cm) on each side. The puzzle consists of the twenty-six unique miniature cubes on the surface. However, the centre cube of each face is merely a single square façade; all are affixed to the core mechanisms. These provide structure for the other pieces to fit into and rotate around. So there are twenty-one pieces: a single core piece consisting of three intersecting axes holding the six centre squares in place but letting them rotate, and twenty smaller plastic pieces which fit into it to form the assembled puzzle. A Cube can be taken apart without much difficulty, usually by removing center caps and using a screwdriver. It is a very simple process to solve a Cube by taking it apart and reassembling it in a solved state. There are twelve edge pieces which show two coloured sides each, and eight corner pieces which show three colours. Each piece shows a unique colour combination, but not all combinations are present (for example, if red and orange are on opposite sides of the solved Cube, there is no edge piece with both red and orange sides).

For most recent cubes, the colours of the stickers are red opposite orange, yellow opposite white, and green opposite blue. However, cubes with alternative colour schemes also exist; for example, they might have the yellow face opposite the green, and the blue face opposite the white (with red and orange opposite faces remaining unchanged).

Permutations

A normal (3×3×3) Rubik's Cube has eight corners and twelve edges. There are 8! ways to arrange the corner cubies. Seven can be oriented independently, and the orientation of the eighth depends on the preceding seven, giving 3^7 possibilities. There are 12!/2 ways to arrange the edges, since an odd permutation of the corners implies an odd permutation of the edges as well. Eleven edges can be flipped independently, with the flip of the twelfth depending on the preceding ones, giving 2^{11} possibilities.

There are exactly 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possibilities. In other words, there are forty-three quintillion or forty-three trillion possibilities. The puzzle is often advertised as having only billions of positions, as the larger numbers could be regarded as incomprehensible to many. To put this into perspective, if every permutation of a 57-millimeter Rubik's Cube were lined up end to end, it would stretch out approximately 261 light years.

The preceding figure is limited to permutations that can be reached solely by turning the sides of the cube. If one considers permuations reached through disassembly of the cube, the number becomes twelve times as large. The full number is 519,024,039,293,878,272,000 or 519 quintillion possible arrangements of the pieces that make up the Cube, but only one in twelve of these are actually solveable. This is because there is no sequence of moves that will swap a single pair of pieces or rotate a single corner or edge cube. Thus there are twelve possible sets of reachable configurations, sometimes called "universes" or "orbits", into which the cube can be placed by dismantling and reassembling it.

Despite the vast number of positions, all Cubes can be solved in twenty or fewer moves.

The large number of permutations is often given as a measure of the Rubik's cube's complexity. However, the puzzle's difficulty does not necessarily follow from the large number of permutations.

Centre pieces

The original (official) Rubik's Cube has no orientation markings on the centre pieces, although some carried the words "Rubik's Cube" on the centre sticker of the white face, and therefore solving it does not require any attention to orienting those faces correctly. However, if one has a marker pen, one could, for example, mark the centre pieces of a solved cube with four coloured marks on each edge, each corresponding to the colour of the adjacent face. Some cubes have also been produced commercially with markings on all of the squares, such as the Lo Shu magic square or playing card suits. Thus one can scramble and then unscramble the cube yet have the markings on the centers rotated, and it becomes an additional test to "solve" the centers as well. This is known as "supercubing".

Putting markings on the Rubik's Cube increases the difficulty mainly because it expands the set of distinguishable possible configurations. When the cube is unscrambled apart from the orientations of the central squares, there will always be an even number of squares requiring a quarter turn. Thus there are 4^6/2 = 2,048 possible configurations of the centre squares in the otherwise unscrambled position, increasing the total number of possible Cube permutations from 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 to 88,580,102,706,155,225,088,000.

Solutions

Many general solutions for the Rubik's Cube have been discovered independently. The most popular method was developed by David Singmaster and published in the book Notes on Rubik's "Magic Cube" in 1979. This solution involves solving the cube layer by layer, in which one layer, designated the top, is solved first, followed by the middle layer, and then the final and bottom layer. After practice, solving the cube layer by layer can be done in under one minute. Most tutorials teach the layer by layer method, as it gives an easy-to-understand step-by-step guide on how to solve it. Though, other general solutions include "corners first" methods or combinations of several other methods, one method of which was produced by the Ideal Toy Company itself, being called The Ideal Solution.

Speedcubing solutions have been developed for solving the Rubik's Cube as quickly as possible. The most common speedcubing solution, CFOP was developed by cubers in the Netherlands and Czechoslovakia in the early 1980s. It was later popularised by Jessica Fridrich (and was often called the Fridrich method). It is a very efficient layer-by-layer method that requires a large number of algorithms, especially for orienting and permuting the last layer. The first-layer corners and second layer are done simultaneously, with each corner paired up with a second-layer edge piece. Another well-known method (Petrus method) was developed by Lars Petrus. In this method, a 2×2×2 section is solved first, followed by a 2×2×3, and then the incorrect edges are solved using a three-move algorithm, which eliminates the need for a possible 32-move algorithm later. This method tends to give solutions in fewer moves and was popular for fewest move competitions. In 2003 Gilles Roux developed the Roux method, which has since become the main alternative to CFOP.

Solutions follow a series of steps and include a set of algorithms for solving each step. An algorithm, also known as a process or an operator, is a series of twists that accomplishes a particular goal. For instance, one algorithm might switch the locations of three corner pieces, while leaving the rest of the pieces in place. Basic solutions require learning as few as four or five algorithms but are generally inefficient, needing around 100 turns on average to solve an entire Cube. In comparison, CFOP requires learning roughly 120 algorithms but allows the Cube to be solved in only 55 moves on average. A different kind of solution (Heise method) developed by Ryan Heise uses no algorithms but rather teaches a set of underlying principles that can be used to solve in fewer than 40 moves.

Algorithms

In cubers' parlance, an algorithm means "a memorized sequence of moves whose effect on the cube is known". This fully conforms with the mathematical and logical use of algorithm defined as a list of well-defined instructions for completing a task from a given initial state, through well-defined successive states, to a desired end-state. A Rubik's Cube algorithm transforms the state of the cube in such a way that a small part of the cube becomes solved without "scrambling" any parts that have previously been solved, or else places the cube in a state from which the solver knows it can now be partly, or fully, solved by the application of further algorithms.

The search for optimal solutions

The manual solution methods described above are intended to be easy to learn, but much effort has gone into finding optimal solutions to the Rubik's Cube. The maximum theoretical number of moves required to solve a Rubik's Cube is known as God's Number.

In 1982, David Singmaster and Alexander Frey hypothesized that the number of moves needed to solve the Rubik's Cube, given an ideal algorithm, might be in "the low twenties". In 2007, Daniel Kunkle and Gene Cooperman used computer search methods to demonstrate that any 3×3×3 Rubik's Cube configuration can be solved in a maximum of 26 moves.

In 2008, Tomas Rokicki lowered the maximum to 22 moves. In July 2010 Tomas Rokicki, Herbert Kociemba, Morley Davidson, and John Dethridge proved that God's Number is exactly 20.

The arrangement known as the super-flip, where every edge is in its correct position but flipped, requires 20 moves to be solved (Using the official notation, these are: U R2 F B R B2 R U2 L B2 R U' D' R2 F R' L B2 U2 F2).

Competitions and record times

Many speedcubing competitions have been held to determine who can solve the Rubik's Cube in the shortest time. The number of contests going up every year: there were 72 official competitions from 2003 to 2006; 33 were in 2006 alone.

The first speedcubing competition took place in Hungary in January 1980, which Viktor T. Toth won with a time of 55 seconds.

The first world championship was held in Budapest on June 5, 1982, and was won by Minh Thai, a Vietnamese student from Los Angeles, California, with a time of 22.95 seconds.

Since 2003, competitions are decided by the best average of 5, dropping the best and worst time and averaging the middle 3 solves. The World Cube Association maintains a database of all World Cube Association official attempts. In 2004, the WCA made it mandatory to use a special timing device called a Stackmat timer.

Alternative competitions

In addition, alternative competitions are held (these are official WCA recognised events). These include:

  • Blindfolded solving

Rubik's 3x3x3 Cube: Blindfolded records

  • Solving the Cube using a single hand

Rubik's 3x3x3 Cube: One-handed

  • Solving the Cube with one's feet

Rubik's 3x3x3 Cube: With feet

See also