The Rubik’s 3×3 Magic Cube is the best-selling and most popular puzzle on the market. Its appeal is undeniable and the fact that you can play it virtually anywhere makes it a must-have item for anyone.
Rotation
In the world of puzzles, a Rubik’s Cube is a three layer cube that can be solved with some basic rotations. The cube can be rotated around the x, y, and z space axis, and can be solved by swapping locations.
The first step to solving the cube is to rotate the top two layers. This is done with a series of moves, called an algorithm, that is written in a sequence of letters. These letters are the smallest, but can be followed by smaller letters or numbers.
A good algorithm will move the corner pieces in the correct direction, and in the correct order. While solving the cube, you may need to perform the algorithm multiple times on a single corner.
One of the most important aspects of solving the Rubik’s Cube is to identify the right corner. You may need to rotate the cube three times to do this.
First, you need to look at the front face of the cube. It should be yellow. If you have a half cross, you can use the F algorithm.
Positioning
If you’re thinking of trying your hand at positioning Rubik’s 3×3 magic cube, you’re probably wondering how to go about it. You’ve probably seen advertisements for the puzzle, which claims to have a whopping 3,000,000,000 combinations. Although that’s not true, it’s certainly possible to solve it.
The first algorithm you might try is to align the edge pieces to the correct color of the side you’re on. For example, if you’re on the red side, the edge piece should be on the top layer.
This step is a lot simpler than you might think. All you need to do is move an edge piece one layer to the left. Once the edge is in the right position, you can then move it to the bottom row.
For the x, y, and z axes, you can make an anticlockwise turn and clockwise turn. A 90-degree turn can be accomplished in four turns.
There are also algorithms to turn your cube to form a yellow cross, a white cross, and a red triangle. Unfortunately, they all require a little practice.
Singmaster notation
Singmaster notation is a technique for denoting the moves in Rubik’s 3×3 magic cube. It is one of the most widely used notations for the puzzle. There are several variants of this notation.
The first solution was created by Erno Rubik. He made the first prototype in 1974. Later in 1976, Japanese toy manufacturer Stonefur completed the mechanics of the cube.
Another method is known as the Ideal Solution. It uses different conventions and a different set of numbers. However, it still requires the user to know the number of turns. This method can be computed quickly in a modern computer.
Other general solutions include the “corners first” methods. These methods search for a heuristic in the right coset space. Each time the user makes a move, the algorithm finds the heuristic that corresponds to the move.
For example, if the user makes the following move: ‘l2 f’, the cube is rotated two rightmost layers counterclockwise. Also, the number two indicates that this is a two-turn move.
Wolstenholme notation
Wolstenholme notation is a form of relative notation. It uses consonants and vowels for faces and turns. This allows the cube to be solved without having to memorize the letters and numbers.
For example, “3Lw2” is the notation for moving all three left layers by 180 degrees. The letter followed by two indicates the direction of the turn. Also, the asterisks tell the user that the turn is on the two layers at once. In addition, the prime symbol (‘) means the face is turned anticlockwise.
Wolstenholme notation makes it easier to memorize the sequences. In the end, the cube is reassembled. As the cube is rotated, the remaining colours will appear in their appropriate positions.
The solution was developed by Patrick Bossert in 1981. It was later published as You Can Do the Cube. During the development of the solution, graphical notation was also introduced. However, this was not widely known at the time.
Other algorithms used to solve the cube involve switching edges. Most of these methods involve layer by layer methods. These methods do not interfere with the solved parts.