Let's twist �a Rubik's Cube �back to shape!
2019 Workshop Session
Jean-Baptiste Mazon
@jbmazon
2014MAZO01
If you’re just browsing, you’d probably be better suited with the “speakerless” variant of this material.
This deck is really the presenter’s version: the comments are hidden deep within the speaker notes—and they’re probably incomplete too.
Not that I’d want to discourage you from presenting this. Spread those cubes!
Non-cuber standard memes
I just peel the stickers off!
What’s the secret?!
– There’s no secret.
– There’s got to be a trick
– Well, there’s a method…
Anyone colorblind?
The colorblindness alternative
The colorblindness alternative
First Layer
(intuitive)
Middle Layer
I solved five sides, then it got messed up!
Scary-Sounding Group Theory
Algebra
Elements: U F R D B L
A = F (R U R-1 U-1)2 F-1
B = A B A D�B-1 = D-1 A-1 B-1 A-1
Last Edges Orient
Conjugates
F R U R′ U′ F′
Conjugate notation:�[F: R U R′ U′]
Last Edges Permute
You just do the same thing over and over!
“Every solve is alike”?
12! × 8! × 210 × 37�= 43,252,003,274,489,856,000�≈ 43 × 1018
43 trillions 🇫🇷
(43 quintillions 🇺🇸)
“The same moves solve all scrambles”?
Devil’s algorithm
2012, Bruce Norskog
…it’s 43 × 1018 moves long.
Triggers and named algs
Last Corners Permute
Cycles
return�of the�sexy
1260
Last Corners Orient
Commutators
Commutator notation: [ R ; U ]
What’s the secret?!
– There’s no secret.
– There’s got to be a trick
– Well, there’s a method…
–Ah-HA! I knew there was a trick!
Wow! Is that a 10 by 10?!
What is the hardest �puzzle you have?!
You can’t watch me scramble it!
Nor would it help much.
Competition scrambles are less than 25 moves.
God’s number is 20 (HTM, 2010)
66%
27%
Whoa are you doing that blind?!
Advanced methods
Colorblind cubers are the fastest nowadays
We all have “that” friend!
I just peel the stickers off!
Picture/Photo Credits
Content Credits
Now go and �solve cubes!
Self-debriefing
I had the hardest time getting the audience to tell me whether they had completed their step or not.�Maybe I should insist more on the “non-judgmental” aspect of the session.
I should have insisted more on autonomy, and the two greatest beginner sequence killer: spurious full-cube rotations and the LBD faces.
Great post-alloted time discussion. Y’all were very friendly, it was a pleasure sharing with you!�We were pretty lucky to have no pressure to release the room, though.
The handout was obvious to me. For obvious reasons. But I’ve seen you struggle with it now, and I think I mostly understand why; so I won’t publish it until it underwent a round of updates.
Feedback request
What did you like?
What did you dislike?
What could have gone better with better planning from my side?
What was just bad luck?
Any other suggestions?
You can contact me anyway you like, though Twitter is probably the easiest.
I’d really love to hear from you!