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Rubik's Cube Record Broken

Posted by simoniker on from the rubik's-kubrick-rubrick dept.

martinX writes "The Courier Mail has a story about a San Fran software developer who spins the cube faster than anyone else on the planet: 20 seconds to solve Rubik's Cube. I didn't think anyone still played with them." The winner, Dan Knights, said "It's sort of a dream come true", and credited Jessica Fridrich's cube-solving method as the key to winning, leaving the originator of the method in second place at the World Rubik's Cube Championships in Toronto at the weekend.

41 comments

  1. Video? by akudoi · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Anyone know if theres a video of him actually solving the cube? Or anyone solving one. It would be interesting to watch.

    1. Re:Video? by jnana · · Score: 5, Informative

      You can see the creator of the Fridrich method solve the cube here: http://www.ws.binghamton.edu/fridrich/video.html

    2. Re:Video? by Stubtify · · Score: 1

      I just finished watching them, and i can't even believe they are real. I'm so amazed by this that I'm going to d/l all of them just so I can watch them if I'm drunk.

  2. Obligitory Lego URL by Kris_J · · Score: 3, Interesting

    http://jpbrown.i8.com/cubesolver.html

  3. 20 seconds??????? by Eager+Newbie · · Score: 4, Funny

    That's way faster than I could solve the cube...

    By peeling and re-applying the stickers.

    --
    "Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning." Bill Gates Yeah Right!
    1. Re:20 seconds??????? by TenaciousPimple · · Score: 1
      I did this when I was very young. As a result, I got bored halfway through and went on to other things.

      It was quite fun to see folks accustomed to solving the cube stop suddenly and start scratching their heads.

  4. Something is just plain wrong about this... by magores · · Score: 0, Redundant

    And yes, I mean "wrong" in the evil sense of the word

  5. I think I saw him... by whorfin · · Score: 3, Funny

    I think I saw him doing a little sidewalk show at Fisherman's Wharf a couple weeks ago. I thought "this is odd, there's a guy showing people he can solve the cube in under 30 seconds...", and just walked past.

    Little did I know I was passing by my chance to meet a world champion. I just hope he doesn't let it go to his head and end up screwed up like Mike Tyson or Todd Marinovich.

    --
    Laugh while you can, monkey-boy!
    1. Re:I think I saw him... by Flingles · · Score: 1

      I think Tyson is a little different because he had one* too many blows to the head.

      *By one I mean several hundred**

      **The reverse is applicable to all gag products

      --
      Karma: -2^0.5 . Mainly due to the imbibing of dihydrogen monoxide
  6. An even bigger challenge! by JFMulder · · Score: 1

    including solving the cube with one hand and blindfolded.
    Too easy. Let's see how they do blinfolded with their hands crossed behing their back wearing boxing gloves.

    1. Re:An even bigger challenge! by Molina+the+Bofh · · Score: 1

      How can a blindfolded person solve this ? I mean, it can't even know if it's getting closer or not.

      --

      -
      Roses are #FF0000, Violets are #0000FF, find / -name '*base*' |xargs chown -R us && mv zig greatjustice
    2. Re:An even bigger challenge! by Methuseus · · Score: 1

      Look at the events for the Rubix Cube championship whatever festival that was on Slashdot a little while ago. It has blindfolded rubix cubes on it.

      --
      Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, though I'm not yet sure about the universe. - A Einstein
    3. Re:An even bigger challenge! by trouser · · Score: 1

      The contestants have a few minutes to examine the cube before being blindfolded.

      --
      Now wash your hands.
    4. Re:An even bigger challenge! by JFMulder · · Score: 1

      Have you seen the videos from someone solving it? The link is in one of the posts. She looks at the cube before solving it and them flips the faces really quickly. She is almost not looking at the cube. So I imagine some people go the extra step and memorizes the positions of the colors.

  7. Solve times by Kethinov · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I know a guy who can solve them in under 3 minutes. He memorized all the algorithms and so on. Fascinating concept. I never knew they were actually solvable until I met him. A lot of people joke that "oh gimme a screwdriver and I'll solve it" but when you break it down step by step, they actually do have a simple set of steps that can be taken to solve them, like any other logic problem. Although he did tell me that they can be taken apart and rearranged in such a way that they CAN be made unsolvable. He told me "never try to solve a cube until you've seen it solved. You never know what kinds of assholes will stack the deck on you to make you look stupid."

    --
    You're right, I wouldn't steal a car. But if it were possible, I sure as hell would download one!
    1. Re:Solve times by pokeyburro · · Score: 1

      Easiest way to make a cube unsolvable: take a solved cube, and rotate one of the corner "cubies" 120 degrees. Not only is it unsolvable, but it may take a while to spot the problem on a scrambled cube. (You could just stick two red stickers on two sides of an edge or corner cubie, but that's easy to spot.)

      --
      Lately democracy seems to be based on the skybox, the Happy Meal box, the X-box, and the idiot box.
    2. Re:Solve times by mcmonkey · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Sub-3 minute times aren't too hard with a little practice. I have "The Simple Solution to Rubik's Cube" (not my auction, just the first link to the book I found).

      As you can see from the picture, it's barely a book--more of a pamphlet. There aren't more than a couple dozen algorithms in the whole thing, and I don't think more than 8 or 10 possible positions you have to look for at any one stage.

      The plan here is to get you solving the puzzle by minimizing the number of cubes you're positioning at once and so minimizing the number of possible combinations to memorize.

      I've topped out at a little under 2 minutes, and I'd bet even with a good, well-oiled cube this method tops out at over a minute. The short-comings of this method really show when you get to the last 4 cubes to place. There's basically one configuration that leads to the solution. And you repeat a short series of moves until the last four cubes are in that configuration.

      It wastes time, but you only need to memorize 1 configuration--the solvable one--and 2 series of moves--1 to solve and 1 to rearrange.

      I thought sub-minute times were world-class, but I had no idea how much had been done sub-30 seconds. I think a question better than vi or emacs is top-down or bottom-up.

    3. Re:Solve times by cfallin · · Score: 1

      I never knew they were actually solvable

      Actually, the proof (informal) of that is quite easy - it starts solved (when you buy it), and to scramble you rotate the faces, so to solve you simply reverse the moves you did to scramble. If you start flipping corners or edges (an odd number of flips) then it becomes unsolvable, however.

    4. Re:Solve times by bluGill · · Score: 1

      Reversing motions is one way to solve it. However that is not (nessicarly) the optimal way to solve it. Often there is a different sequence that can be followed to solve the thing. If I've been trying to solve it for a while there is sure to be a better way.

    5. Re:Solve times by cfallin · · Score: 1

      Yes - theoretically (as mentioned elsewhere) it can be solved in 21 (I think) moves. I simply offered the reversing moves strategy as proof that a method always exists.

    6. Re:Solve times by John+Harrison · · Score: 1
      There isn't much to memorize to solve in under 3 minutes. I have 3 "moves" memorized and I can solve the 3x3x3 cube in about 2 minutes consistently. The 4x4x4 cube takes about 10 minutes and the 5x5x5 cube can take 30. Strangely the 2x2x2 cube takes about as long as the 3x3x3 cube because it is harder to twist quickly. The Darth Maul 2x2x2 cube doesn't have the nice colors to help you out. You have to look at a cubie and figure out which one it is by the shape.

      True speed cubers memorize algorithms for specific situations so they never waste any moves. Once I was able to solve it, I never had the desire to memorize the additional moves in order to become fast. There are lots of sites on the net that will teach you a variety of methods for solving.

      --
      Lasers Controlled Games!
    7. Re:Solve times by azav · · Score: 1

      Heck, in the 80's, I read the book on cube solving and got my best time down to 1:16. Blows my mind how someone could get 23 seconds.

      Just goes to show that there must be better algorithms out there.

      --
      - Zav - Imagine a Beowulf cluster of insensitive clods...
  8. Word by LincolnX · · Score: 1

    My friend went to this competition. Before this he was 4th world champion. It's really amazing to see someone finish it so fast. his average time is 25 seconds I think.

  9. Wtf? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Step 1: Place the four edges from the first layer [pic of random cube]
    Uhm... what? Not exactly a manual then, eh?
  10. initial state of cube? by croddy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    how is it possible to have a rubik's cube competition? is there a standardized initial state for the cube?

    1. Re:initial state of cube? by zero_offset · · Score: 4, Informative
      From the rules:

      Scrambling:
      In all portions of the championship, puzzles will be scrambled using random moves generated by computer. The same sequences of random moves will be applied to the puzzle of each competitor to ensure each competitor will be starting with the same random puzzle state. This same method of scrambling will be used during the averages or best of 3 ?- type portions of competition. These random moves will be applied by independent jury-members.

      The number of random moves depends on the puzzle. See the below example for explanation.

      Rubiks 3x3x3: 25 moves
      Rubiks 4x4x4, 40 moves
      Rubiks 5x5x5, other: 60 moves etc

      But what I REALLY want to know is, how the hell do you solve a cube while blindfolded? Seriously, there are three categories of blindfolded competitions.

      --

      Slashdot quality declines as the number of hot grits posts decreases. - Provolt's Law, Apr-09-2005

    2. Re:initial state of cube? by Soul-Burn666 · · Score: 2, Informative

      In some competitions you are allowed to examine the cube before actually moving parts... So this might be the case.

      If i'm not mistaken, the fastest for a pre-examined cube is something like 9 secs.

      --
      ^_^
    3. Re:initial state of cube? by Vryl · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I am pretty sure that there is a proof that any configuration of a cube is at most 21 moves away from any other. That is also to say that you can solve any position in 21 moves or less. It is known, I believe, as 'Gods Algorithm'.

      So, 25 random moves is at least 4 that are redundant, ie, don't add to the complexity of the puzzle.

  11. I am forshamed by wizarddc · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I can do the cube, and have been able to since like 8th grade. When I first solved it, it would take me like a half hour. Then in 10th grade, I found a solution online that allowed me to do it in 10 minutes. And then my senior year, I found a 3 minute solution. After a few more years of using that method, I can regularly get a cube solved in a minute and a half. I know there are quicker algorithms out there, but I have dedicated the time for them. Most people have the patience and intrigue to stick around for a couple of minutes while I solve it. They always say "You can do that so fast!". I'ts like someone telling you your Ford Taurus is fast when they've never seen a Corvette. I'm always like "I don't do this fast, trust me". I always thought the record was less than 20 seconds. I remember seeing a guy do it in 16 seconds before. Maybe this is the average of a few cubes, I guess.

    --
    Th
  12. I think this is a real problem by JMZero · · Score: 2, Informative

    I'm no expert on the cube (it takes me a couple minutes), but it seems to me the competition would be very much influenced by "free stuff" (ie. steps in solving that you don't have to do). From a solving perspective, there's all sorts of situations you can run into and they are not equally favorable.

    It's also pointless to standardize the number of turns used in randomization. Beyond a trivial number of turns (say, about 10 - maybe 15 for a pro), the cube is randomized enough that you'll be "starting from scratch" (ie, it's likely your first turns will be moving it further from solved, but towards a situation you can deal with).

    I've seen someone solve a cube in 13 seconds. They were moving fast, but they also admitted they got lucky.

    --
    Let's not stir that bag of worms...
    1. Re:I think this is a real problem by SniperPuppy · · Score: 1

      I believe that in competition, each competitor solves ten cubes and the times are averaged, which helps eliminate the luck factor.

  13. Factoids - by JMZero · · Score: 1

    There's really only two possibilities for a re-assembled cube (assuming stickers were left on cube and middle pivot cubes weren't rearranged) - even and odd.

    Learning to solve the cube via the top-middle-bottom method takes about a half hour, and anyone who's done this 10 or 15 times will be able to spot an odd configuration (unsolveable) as soon as they reach bottom (about half way through solve).

    --
    Let's not stir that bag of worms...
  14. Just a question of time and monkeys by janaagaard · · Score: 2, Funny

    Given enough time and enough monkeys they will eventually solve the cube in 19 seconds.

  15. I started reading the algorithm by nocomment · · Score: 1

    ...but then I realized that rubik's cube is boring and mvoed on. I must have ADD.

    --
    /* oops I accidentally made a comment, sorry */
    /* http://allyourbasearebelongto.us */
  16. damn miss post! by Xistic · · Score: 1

    good videos of speed cubing and techniques can be found here.

    --
    BASE Conflict for Quake 3
  17. Not a World Record by tbmaddux · · Score: 1
    This page lists many official times of under 20 seconds. Furthermore the middle of the page lists the previously quoted 22.95 seconds as simply the previous world championship time, not the previous record. Finally, you can see even faster times on an unofficial list where some people claim to have solved in 11 seconds.

    It's not a new world record, it's simply a new championship winner. The world record is still 16.53 seconds.

    --
    Can't you see that everyone is buying station wagons?
  18. Well, now I feel stupid... by WoTG · · Score: 1

    At first I thought, "WOW." That's insane, 20 something seconds. Then I read on to discover that there are solutions online that will help anyone beat the cube - and fast, with practice.

    And to think that I was never able to finish much more than two sides of the cube... ah well, I was 10, and the 'net wasn't around then. It was probably more fun that way, really.