76
votes
Accepted
Does the Rubik's Cube in this painting have a solved state?
Oo, this is a good one. Let's do some analysis:
We can see the centres of three sides, and the relative positions of the centres cannot be changed, so we know that when/if this cube is solved, the ...
- 72.4k
40
votes
How can one solve a Rubik's cube without relying on guides/algorithms?
There are three techniques that allow you to come up with useful move sequences for solving a cube.
Conjugation
This is where you already have a move sequence that does one thing and allows you to ...
- 47.7k
39
votes
Accepted
Mathematical Proof of a Rubik’s Cube
The question is a bit unclear - it sounds like you're asking "Given a sequence of moves A, is there always some number of repetitions of A that will get you back to the start state?"
This is ...
- 144k
29
votes
Accepted
CSE Hex Cube Puzzle
At last, this is solved.
Let's first look at something on the solved cube
Face by face...
Given that, let's just try the following :
Still looks like gibberish
I was stuck a fair while here, ...
- 9,459
25
votes
Accepted
Barely Illegal Rubik's Cube State
We can see
Therefore
But the centre pieces tell us that
Which is a contradiction. Therefore this cube cannot be solved.
- 6,661
24
votes
Accepted
What is the name (and brand / year) of this puzzle?
After searching around, going through Hungarian Rings, I finally stumbled on Radosza's Rings, which seem to be educational toys. Link
- 9,810
18
votes
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18
votes
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Adjusting wrongly assembled Rubik's Cube
There is never a particular piece that is the wrong one, but you can find out how to fix it.
There are three conditions that a solvable position must satisfy.
The permutation parity must be even. ...
- 47.7k
16
votes
Accepted
How do I solve the top yellow layer of the Rubik's cube?
I'm afraid this is not possible to solve using normal moves.
Two things could have happened:
1. The cube was taken apart or some pieces popped out, and then it was reassembled incorrectly.
2. The ...
- 47.7k
16
votes
Accepted
Worst way to solve Rubik's in one algorithm
It seems like you are trying to find
One such example that satisfies this is
In particular,
As mentioned by armb in the comments, there is a good answer here discussing the maximum orders for an $n ...
- 131k
14
votes
What is the best method of scrambling a rubik's cube?
If the goal is to have a truly random cube, holding behind your back and scrambling it is as good as any other method, as long as you do ~20 twists or so.
People often intuitively think that if you ...
- 533
13
votes
How can one solve a Rubik's cube without relying on guides/algorithms?
Logic
Every method for solving a Rubik's Cube comes down to algorithms at some stage. These algorithms are a set of moves which you memorise and perform when a set of criteria is met. For example, ...
- 704
12
votes
How can one solve a Rubik's cube without relying on guides/algorithms?
I haven't solved the 3x3x3 Cube myself. I bought mine in 2010, and used a tutorial to solve it. In 2012 I started a twisty puzzles collection, and I currently have more than 350 puzzles in my ...
- 4,538
12
votes
How can one solve a Rubik's cube without relying on guides/algorithms?
I can speak as someone who solved the Rubik's cube "without knowing the rules behind it". I solved it by myself, when I was in high school, with no instruction beyond watching some guy solve it one ...
- 281
12
votes
How can I switch 2 yellow corners that are on the same face of a 3x3 cube?
Is everything else on the cube solved? Because if it is, this isn't solvable. Swapping just two pieces (applies to both corners and edges) on a regular 3x3x3 Cube isn't possible. It is possible to ...
- 4,538
12
votes
Accepted
12
votes
Accepted
How to make a Rubik's Cube look like a die?
I will assume that the pips of a number do have to be the same colour, with the background an arbitrary mix of the other 5 colours, and that the six numbers must be on six different faces (e.g. you ...
- 47.7k
11
votes
Accepted
Name of Rubik's Cube position with swapped corners & centers
This is the superflip, the position of a 3x3x3 cube where all edge pieces have been flipped in place, but applied to a 5x5x5 cube using only its outer layers. My preferred method for doing this is the ...
- 47.7k
11
votes
Accepted
Twisty puzzle composed of hexagonal prisms, with As and diamonds
It was first released in June 2004 by Mefferts under the name Jackpot, and later it was renamed Platypus, and after that the New Generation Puzzle. It probably was sold under other names as well.
See ...
- 47.7k
10
votes
Accepted
Help with the name of this puzzle
That specific one looks like a Varikon tower to me. See
http://www.cs.brandeis.edu/~storer/JimPuzzles/MANIP/VarikonTowers/VarikonTowers.pdf
http://www.jaapsch.net/puzzles/tower.htm
- 11.1k
10
votes
Accepted
A rubik's cube that fights back
The cube is definitely defeatable if
The way to beat the cube is to
If this method is considered too trivial and against the spirit of the rules, you can still do it for
by making use the non-...
- 47.7k
9
votes
Accepted
Single solved state for Sudoku Pyraminx
Brute force shows that for the example there are:
$8$ solutions if rings are not considered*
$0$ solutions if rings are considered*
Call the left of the three faces at the top of your net $L$, ...
- 21k
9
votes
3x3x3 Rubik's Cube Illegal State
The problem that occurs on your 3x3x3 Cube is called Void Parity. When you solve a Void Cube you can have everything solved, except for two swapped corners. This is due to the "centers" not being at ...
- 4,538
9
votes
Accepted
Is twisting a corner of a Rubik's cube a valid move?
It's obviously not a valid move.
Many 3x3x3 speed cubes are very loose, but in my opinion the best ones are just tight enough to not allow a corner to be twisted in isolation. I don't think there are ...
- 47.7k
9
votes
Accepted
Rubik's Cube: Does going from one arbitrary configuration to another have same God's Number as solving it?
There is nothing special about the solved state. Solving the cube means achieving a particular permutation of the cubelets' faces; that's true whether what you're trying to end up with is the state we ...
- 116k
9
votes
Accepted
Cube Scrambling
For a scramble to be any good, at the very least you would want every pair of adjacent pieces to become separated at least once during the scramble. You don't want any blocks to remain unscrambled, ...
- 47.7k
9
votes
Barely Illegal Rubik's Cube State
Here's one way to show the cube cannot be solved:
Suppose the bottom face is white. Then the corner piece with yellow and white visible is in the right place, and is the fourth blue corner. That means ...
- 5,946
8
votes
Accepted
How to Flip Adjacent Edges like this
Why so complicated? You can use even a simpler combo. First, move the other flipped edge to the opposite side. If BLUE is Front and ORANGE is Left do:
Moving the orange edge to the opposite side: L',...
- 196
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible