Rubik's Cube

Rubik's Cube is a mechanical puzzle invented in 1974 by the Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. It is a plastic cube comprising 26 smaller cubes that rotate around a typically unseen kernel. Each of the nine visible facets on a side of the Rubik's Cube exhibits one of six colors. When the puzzle is solved, each side of the Rubik's Cube is a different color, but the rotation of each face allows the smaller cubes to be rearranged in many different ways. The challenge of the puzzle is to return the cube to its original state, in which each face of the cube consists of nine squares of a single color.

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 1980. This solution involves solving the cube layer by layer, in which one face is solved, followed by the middle row, and finally the last and bottom face. Other general solutions include "corners first" methods, or combinations of several other methods.

Related Topics:
David Singmaster - 1980

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Speed cubing solutions have been developed for solving the Rubik's Cube as quickly as possible. The most common speed cubing solution was developed by Jessica Fridrich. It is a very efficient layer-by-layer method that requires a large number of algorithms, especially for orienting and permuting the last layer. Another well-known method was developed by Lars Petrus.

Related Topics:
Speed cubing - Jessica Fridrich - Lars Petrus

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Solutions typically consist of a sequence of processes. A process, or algorithm as it's sometimes called, is a series of cube twists which accomplishes a particular goal. For instance, one process might switch the locations of three corner pieces, while leaving the rest of the pieces in their places. These sequences are performed in the appropriate order to solve the cube. Complete solutions can be found in any of the books listed in the bibliography, and most can be used to solve any cube in under five minutes. In addition, much research has been done on optimal solutions for Rubik's Cube.

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