The Birth of the Cube
In 1974, Hungarian architect Ernő Rubik invented the Rubik‘s Cube puzzle. Consisting of 26 cubes with 9 faces having 6 solid colors, it could be twisted and rotated thanks to an ingenious internal mechanism. Though simple in concept, the permutations of the Cube were astronomically high, creating an addictive and maddeningly difficult puzzle.
After some initial small-scale production, the Cube eventually caught the attention of Ideal Toy Company in 1979. With distribution on an international scale, the Rubik‘s Cube became a global phenomenon in the 1980s, selling over 100 million units. It had officially reached fad status, with people desperate to crack the code.
Understanding the Internal Workings
To have any hope of solving a Rubik‘s Cube, you first need to understand how it works. Here‘s a breakdown of its components:
- Centers – The fixed center cube of each face, denoting its color. 6 centers.
- Edges – The middle pieces with two colored tiles. 12 edges.
- Corners – The corner pieces with three colored tiles. 8 corners.
The puzzle relies on this internal mechanism to rotate sections, manipulating the placement of edges and corners while keeping centers static.
While intimidating at first, memorizing the notation for rotations is key:
- F – Rotate the front face clockwise
- B – Rotate the back face clockwise
- R – Rotate the right face clockwise
- L – Rotate the left face clockwise
- U – Rotate the upper face clockwise
- D – Rotate the bottom face clockwise
Add an apostrophe (F‘) to denote counterclockwise.
Beginner‘s Method
The simplest way to solve a Rubik‘s Cube uses four steps:
- Create a white cross on top
- Position white corner pieces
- Second layer edges
- Final layer
While easy to learn, the beginner‘s method doesn‘t lend itself well to fast solving. However, understanding the fundamentals provides a gateway to more advanced techniques. Let‘s break it down step-by-step:
White Cross
Holding the Cube with white center on top, create a white cross using only U, F, R, L moves. Line three white edge pieces to match the center. This forms your starting foundation.
White Corners
For this layer, apply the algorithm:
R U R’ U’
Repeating this rotates corners into their correct place, ignoring other colors for now. All four white corners must be positioned correctly before moving on.
Second Layer
Here you want to match edge pieces with corresponding center colors by using algorithms like:
U R U‘ R‘ U‘ F‘ U F
Do this one by one until the first two layers are complete.
Final Layer
For the last step, you must orient the remaining corners and edges. Several algorithms can achieve this depending on the final layout.
With practice, a beginner can solve the Cube in under 10 minutes. But speed requires more advanced techniques.
Advancing to Faster Solving Techniques
As people became obsessed with solving Rubik‘s Cubes quickly in the 1980s, various methods emerged to streamline the process:
Fridrich (CFOP) Method
One of the most common tactics used today, the CFOP method has four steps:
• Cross – Completing a 1x2x3 section on one side
• F2L (First Two Layers) – Filling in remaining slots efficiently
• OLL (Orient Last Layer) – Orienting the last layer‘s edges
• PLL (Permute Last Layer) – Permuting the corners and edges into place
Pros use multiple algorithms to complete the OLL and PLL steps, needing to recognize patterns quickly.
Roux Method
An advanced technique focused on efficiency and ergonomics, the key steps in Roux are:
• First block – Form a 1x2x3 section on one side
• Second block – Build the opposite 1x2x3 section
• CMLL (Corners of the Last Layer) – Orient corners
• LSE (Last Six Edges) – Position remaining edges
Petrus Method
Named after its inventor Lars Petrus, this tactic relies on intuitive play:
• 2x2x2 block – Making a 2x2x2 corner section
• 2x2x3 block – Expanding to 2x2x3
• EO (Edge Orientation) – Orienting remaining edges
• F2L – Completing first two layers
• COLL (Corners of Last Layer) – Solving the last corner pieces
• EPLL (Edges Permutation of Last Layer) – Permuting the last edge pieces
Mathematics of Rubik‘s Cube Algorithms
It‘s estimated that any configuration of a Rubik‘s Cube can be solved in just 20 moves or less. Known as God‘s Number, the exact number remains elusive. That people can solve Cubes much faster comes down to mathematics.
Specifically, a branch of mathematics called Group Theory allows algorithms to solve the Cube. A Rubik‘s Cube has eight corner pieces with three orientations, as well as 12 edge pieces with two orientations – referred to as permutation groups. By assigning a numerical order to pieces and directions, algorithms systematically eliminate the possibilities, reducing the Cube into solvable states.
Effectively, algorithms attempt to eliminate randomness by creating known patterns. For those looking to solve Rubik‘s Cubes quickly, pattern recognition becomes vital. The ability to spot certain combinations mid-solve allows you to apply the most effective algorithms.
Over time, solving Rubik‘s Cubes relies less on memory but more on intuitive, subconscious responses – not unlike other motor skills.
World Records and Extreme Cubes
The fastest official solve of a standard 3x3x3 Rubik‘s Cube is 3.47 seconds by China‘s Yusheng Du, using a mix of CFOP and Roux techniques. Other records include:
- Cube with one hand – 6.88 seconds
- Blindfolded solving – 14.65 seconds
- Solving five cubes blindfolded simultaneously – 1 minute 57 seconds
In addition to traditional Cubes, inventors have created giant functioning versions using Lego, measuring 17x17x17 feet! Atheneum Museum in Ohio made one weighing 910 pounds.
These oversized custom Cubes demonstrate not just mathematical skill in scaling the puzzle by such magnitude, but also through constructional feat too. However, speedsolving is definitely not their purpose.
Last Thoughts
In almost 50 years since its invention, experts have developed many methods to solve Rubik‘s Cubes quickly thanks to algorithms learned through practice. Understanding group theory fundamentals leads to elegant solutions. While the maximum number of moves required is likely 20, pattern recognition skills built over time can greatly improve speeds.
If you decide to learn how to solve the Rubik’s Cube, focus first on intuition rather than pure memorization. As algorithms become muscle memory and solving feels more natural, you‘ll be able to work towards faster times. Just don‘t forget to relish the journey – much of the true magic lies in the thrill of discovery along the way.
