Petrus Method

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Petrus method
Petrus method.gif
Information about the method
Proposer(s): Lars Petrus
Proposed: 1981
Alt Names: none
Variants: none
No. Steps: 7
No. Algs: 2 to 493 (for the last layer)
Avg Moves: 45 to 60
Purpose(s):

The Petrus Method, invented by Lars Petrus, is a block-building method where the F2L is solved intuitively with no algorithms. 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 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