Snyder Method

Snyder method Information about the method Proposer(s): Anthony Snyder Proposed: 1982 Alt Names: Variants: Heise Method Petrus No. Steps: 3-5 No. Algs: unknown Avg Moves: 36-45 Purpose(s): Speedsolving FMC

Invented by Anthony Snyder in 1982, the Snyder Method is both a fewest moves method and a speedsolving method for the 3x3x3 cube. The start is similar to Petrus, forming a 2x2x2 block with optional XCross. Then a variety of methods may be used to complete the rest of the F2L except for one CE. (Anthony has since added optional starts using a 1x2x3 or a 2x2x3, also with or without the cross.) Then the final CE pair is placed while simultaneously orienting and placing a minimum of one LLE. Then all LL edges are solved together with one corner. Then the last three corners are solved.

The main objective to the Snyder Method is to orient and permute each piece at each stage simultaneously rather than separate steps, as he claims several strategic advantages to this:

• a simultaneous orient and permute helps the person visualize piece relationships useful to intuitive cube solving
• Snyder is convinced there is a mathematical advantage to simultaneous orient and permute, though he has not proven this
• all LL algs learned that fit this philosophy will also be a subset of the LL direct solve method, thereby making more efficient use of the learning process for people who have as an ultimate goal a LL direct solve

Video of Anthony demonstrating the Snyder Method, and a newer demo, easier to see, and here he is seen doing 5 speed solves using Snyder Method 2 showing how fast it is despite his handicaps.

Though his F2L method closely resembles the F2L in Petrus, his last layer method differs considerably. Though there are many cases to first solving the LLE+1C, the more common cases can generally be solved in 6-10 turns, making it quite turn efficient. In 2005 Kenneth Gustavsson came up with the same LL method as Anthony, calling it "Fish & Chips".

The Snyder Method includes a number of variations that are applied wherever convenient.

• when a 2x2x3 block is not immediately apparent he will start with either a 1x2x3 or a 2x2x2, then immediately finish the 2x2x3 block with a second look, or, he puts together several CE pairs as in Heise, then assembles those into a F2L minus one CE
• two or more CE may be solved simultaneously to complete the F2L faster
• the LL may be solved in 1 look rather than 2, using either a shortest-move algorithm, combination, or substitution

In the early 80's Anthony came up with a complete set of fewest-move solutions for the CE pair cases and for the last three corners cases. However, he relied more extensively on the use of combinations and exchanges to efficiently put in the LL edges + corner. He makes up for this with a large selection of approximate direct-solves on the entire LL, claiming to switch to this mode about 20% of the time.

This method requires 1-2 looks for the block+cross start, then up to 1 look each for the 1-3 CE pairs, then 1-2 looks for the last layer. Though there are a lot of looks, an attentive solver can be quite efficient, and average around 40 turns. Though a beginner will likely take a lot more than this, and a pro taking their time may get his/her average down to about 36. Many of the shorter algorithms were added throughout the 80's and 90's, and the library of LL direct solves were mostly added in the 00's.

Anthony came up with nearly all of the algorithms without advice from others, and without using a computer, and therefore claims that his system is one of the most efficient systems based primarily on human originated algorithms. In the 80's there was a general stereotype that using a computer was cheating, plus Anthony enjoyed thinking up his own algorithms. However, he states that he will upgrade his system using computer modeling in the near future, possibly making it a serious contender.

In 1981 he printed his simple solution, a 7 algorithm system that is easy to learn. It was entitled, "Tony Snyder's Simplest Solution to Solve a Rubik's Cube", and though he personally only taught a handful of people this technique, a classmate took a copy and passed it out to students in a number of schools. He has not yet put to print his advanced technique.

Note: Having complete sets of short algorithms was very unusual in the 1980's (combining 2 algs in 1-look was a common solution). Kenneth Gustavsson suggested the same LL-method ('Fish & Chips') in 2005 but with VHF2L and the rest in two clearly defined steps, EP + 1 corner (36 cases, the 'fish' step) and then L3C (22 cases, the 'chips' step), this makes a 2-look ZBLL, often a little more effective than COLL/EPLL.

Anthony's Turn Counting Protest: "I have never understood why the turn counting rules/standards follow a 'range of motion metric' rather than an 'efficiency metric'. Solving for fewest turns is a challenge in efficiency to start with, so the metric should also be based on efficiency. In my opinion the most sensible way to count turns is to figure that any parallel simultaneous movement is one turn. This would also make the rules far simpler. Another point is that there are many ways to fine-tune solves by adding more anti-slices. Examples: I far prefer solving the U-Twist (headlights) with R L U2 R' U' R U' R' L' U2 L U L' U, which works out to just 12 very easy to perform turns once you define the anti-slice into the metric (using Snyder Notation the same algorithm: R+o' U2 R' U' R U' R'o+ U2 L U L' U). This requires only 12 parallel simultaneous movements, which is in my opinion more efficient than the 13 turn F U' R2 U R2 U F U' F2 D R2 D' R2. Another example is the H-PLL, which can take just 6 turns using the Snyder Metric."

See Also

• Snyder Notation
• Snyder Metric
• Methods
• 3x3x3 Speedsolving Methods
• Fewest Moves Techniques
• Heise Method
• Petrus Method
• L3C

Tony Snyder wrote: "In 1983 I set the world record for unassisted play on a video game called Q*Bert at a place called Showbiz Pizza in Minneapolis. I decided to solve the cube before starting and then again after, just to see what condition my mind would get to. Before starting the game I solved the cube in 31 seconds (early am, bad time). Then I spent half the week playing Q*Bert non-stop, finishing after 57 hours of continuous play and no sleep. I was awake for 3 hours before it started. So after 60 hours of no sleep I then solved the cube in 25 seconds. They showed some of this on local TV, and they did a write-up in March 1984 Electronic Games Magazine. BTW, I unexpectedly went colorblind for about 30 minutes during play, then recovered - lost about 300 Q*Berts during that time, but I had over 800 saved up so it was no big deal."

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If you have edges oriented when starting the last layer you can often do using only Sune, double Sune (or inverse and/or mirrors), J-PLL a/b or U-PLL a/b for the first look. Here are a couple of examples that show how this is done:

Scramble                                 Solution
F U F' L2 B' U' B U L2 F U' F' U         AUF to U-PLL a on the left side, (L3C 3-twist).
L' U R U' B2 U' B2 U B2 R' L U'          AUF J-PLL b, (L3C 'Anti Niklas')
B' F R2 U' R2 U R2 U F' U' B U'          J-PLL b, (L3C Niklas)
R2 F2 R2 U R' F2 R U' R2 F2 R U R U      left side double Antisune (L' U2 L U...)
R' F U2 F U L' U L F U' F U F R U2       left side double Antisune (again!)
B L2 F' D F' D' F2 L2 B' U'              y J-PLL a (setup L' before the y for 1LLL)
L U2 L D' B2 D L' U2 L D' B2 D L2 U'     y2 left Antisune.

Sometimes more than one of these solutions are possible. Working like this solves the step in an easy 2:5 times, maybe more. It is effective, fast and OH-friendly, but recogniton for the sune/doublesune cases is horrible without loads of practice. For the cases where two opposite edges needs to be swapped COLL is a recommended alternative and for the cases with edges correct, one or two look L4C.