-The Cube Mag:

What exactly is a Rubik’s Cube? A Rubik’s Cube is a puzzle box created by Ernő Rubik, a sixty six year old Hungarian sculptor. He first came up with, and put together, the idea in the year 1974. The concept for the “Rubik’s Cube” was derived from an ancient Chinese combination puzzle box of similar complexity. After completing the assembly of his new puzzle, Ernő Rubik scrambled it and began working to solve it. It took him about three months to solve his own puzzle for the first time.

In order to fully understand how a Rubik’s Cube works, one should take it apart and briefly study the pieces and figure out how each piece, and side turns. To do this (take apart a Rubik’s Cube that is), you will have to turn one side forty five degrees. Then use a tool, or your thumb, (I

prefer to use a flathead screwdriver), to pry out the center side piece. As shown:

Once you have completed the first step, the rest is easy. Continue to take out the adjacent corner pieces, followed by the side pieces. The pieces will progressively grow easier and easier to take out; almost to the point of simply falling out on their own. When you have successfully done this step, you will be left with twenty pieces (eight corners, and twelve sides), and one “core”. The “core” is a “3D cross” shaped piece:

and is the most important because it holds the whole puzzle together. You should be left with a pile looking something like this:

With this unorganized pile of 3D puzzle pieces, you will have to clean each of them by simply rubbing them off with a paper towel or cloth. Proceed to reassemble your cube in the same fashion that it was taken apart. Stop before you insert the last piece, and spray,

inside the cube, silicone lube, (don’t use WD40 because it will gradually deteriorate the plastic, and the puzzle will eventually fall apart), like so:

By completing these steps one will

further understand the concept of the Rubik’s Cube Puzzle Box, will be able to efficiently manage their cube (cleaning it regularly), and will be able to increase their cubing speed, and shave seconds off their solving time. The completion of this famous puzzle will become more, and more, simple to those who commit and practice the Rubik’s Cube.

What are algorithms? An algorithm is a

series of moves, or turns, that achieves a particular purpose. In the case of solving a Rubik’s Cube, an algorithm is a combination of turning sides to further advance ones self in the completion of the cube. There are several of these “algorithms” that are

needed to successfully complete the puzzle; as well as others that were only created to help some one solve the cube faster; these are called “short cut” algorithms. To read the algorithms, one must understand the notation of them. Here is a key to help comprehend the notation:

1) Cube faces: F (front face), B (back face), R (right face), L (left face), U (upper face), D (bottom face)

2) Clockwise, 90 degrees: F, B, R, L, U, D

3) Counter clockwise, 90 degrees: F', B', R', L', U', D'

4) 180 degrees: F2, B2, R2, L2, U2, D2

How to solve a Rubik’s Cube: The first thing that needs to be

done to solve the Rubik’s Cube is simple, and, unfortunately, doesn’t have an actual algorithm, its more “intuitive”; solve the “White Cross”:

However, to do this efficiently, you must get the white side pieces on the yellow face (each face color is marked by the color of each center piece of each face):

Then you must match each side piece, one by one, to their corresponding center pieces (by only turning the Upper face):

And then spin that one particular face 180 degrees so that the white side pieces are matched up with both the white face, and the colored face:

Next, you will need to “insert” the white corner pieces into their correct places using the algorithms: R, U, R’, or, L’, U’, L, depending on which side the piece is on (these algorithms only work once you have the white corner piece on the side and the color is matched with its center):

Congratulations! You have just completed the first layer of the

Rubik’s Cube!

Now, to solve the second layer, you only need to correct four side pieces. First, find a piece that will

correctly fit into the second layer (it has to be in the top layer). Turn the Upper face until that piece matches

up with its corresponding center. Then complete this algorithm: U, R, U’, R’, U’, F’, U, F, or U’,L’, U, L, U, F, U’, F’, depending on which side the certain piece is on, and which side it needs to go to. Sometimes a side pieces will already be in the second layer, but in the wrong place; in this case do the same algorithms, and the piece will be moved to the Upper layer where you can then work with it:

Congratulations! You have just completed the second layer of the

Rubik’s Cube! Next to solve is the Upper face;

we save the third layer for last. The Upper face may have several different cases:

It can be “Blank”, “L” (must be situated in the top left hand corner), or “Horizontal Line”, for these cases use the algorithm: F, R, U, R’, U’, F’.

Use the previous algorithm until you have the “Yellow Cross” (may also have other yellow pieces accompanying it to form the cases: “Fish”, which is the yellow cross with one extra corner piece in the bottom left hand corner, or “Brick”, which is two extra consecutive corner pieces with the majority of the “Yellow” on the right hand side):

For these cases, use the algorithm: R, U, R’, U, R, U2, R’. Continue this algorithm with these cases when they are in their correct position until the upper layer is solved.

Congratulations! You have just solved the Upper layer of the Rubik’s

Cube! Finally, the last layer to solve;

the third layer. This is the most difficult portion of the solving process because there is already so much that you have done that you don’t want to mess up. We begin with looking in the third layer for “Head Lights”, two corner squares on the same face of the same color:

There are four main different cases of the “Head Lights”.

There may be no “Head Lights”,

one pair of “Head Lights” (must be facing backwards, so they’re actually tail lights), three pairs of “Head Lights” and a solved side (the solved side must be facing right), or all four pairs of “Head Lights”.

For the cases of one pair or no

pair of “Head Lights”, use the algorithm: R’, F, R’, B2, R, F’, R’, B2, R2. Continue this algorithm until you have one of the other two cases. Situate the cube (with either the cases of three pairs of “Head Lights” and a solved side; or four pairs of “Head Lights”) correctly, and proceed with the algorithm: L2, U, B, F’, L2, B’, F, U, L2. Continue this final algorithm until the puzzle is solved.

Congratulations! You have completely solved the

Rubik’s Cube!

The algorithms needed to solve the Rubik’s Cube in the most basic manner, in order of required use, are:

1) R, U, R’, or, L’, U’, L 2) U, R, U’, R’, U’, F’, U, F, or U’,L’, U, L, U,

F, U’, F’ 3) F, R, U, R’, U’, F’ 4) R, U, R’, U, R, U2, R’ 5) R’, F, R’, B2, R, F’, R’, B2, R2 6) L2, U, B, F’, L2, B’, F, U, L2

Rubik’s Cube World Records: The world record for the

fastest Rubik’s Cube solve time is held by Feliks Zemdegs with a time of 6.65 seconds.

The fastest time for solving the cube while blindfolded, (including memorizing time), is held by Gabriel Alejandro Orozco Casillas with a time of 30.9 seconds. Not including the memorizing time, Clément Gallet finished in 23.06 seconds.

Types of Puzzles: 3x3x3 4x4x4 5x5x5 6x6x6

9x9x9 Mirror Cube Mega Minx Magic Minx

Tetra

Pyramid

2x2x6

Square 1

Where to get your very own mechanical puzzles:

1) www.rubiks.com/ 2) http://cubingstore.com/ 3) www.amazon.com 4) http://www.twistypuzzles.com/

Rubik’s Cube events: 2011 , Aug 20-21: Canadian Open 2011; Canada, Toronto, Ontario;

Seneca College's Residence and Conference Centre. 2011 , Aug 12-14: US Nationals 2011; USA, Columbus, Ohio; The

Ohio Union at Ohio State University. 2011, Jun 18: River Hill Spring 2011; USA, Clarksville, Maryland;

River Hill High School. 2011, Jun 11: Dixon Open 2011; USA, Dixon, Illinois; Dixon Historic

Center. 2011 , Jun 4: CUBEcentric 2011; Canada, Toronto, Ontario; Seneca

College's Residence and Conference Centre. 2011 , Jun 4: Arizona Open 2011; USA, Phoenix, Arizona; Brown Mackie College. 2011, May 28: San Diego 2011; USA, San Diego, California;

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. 2011, May 28: Captain's Cove 2011; USA, Bridgeport, Connecticut;

Captain's Cove Seaport. 2011, May 22: National Capital Region 2011; Canada, Rockland,

Ontario; École secondaire catholique L'Escale. 2011, May 22: Stanford Spring 2011; USA, Stanford; Meyer Room

124. 2011 , May 21: Houston Spring 2011; USA, Houston; Stratford High

School Auditorium.