Solving The Rubik’s Cube, Analyzing The Fridrich Method
The Rubik’s Cube was made famous in the 1980s when they were distributed to stores nearly world wide. In 1982 the first speed cubing competition took place. Ever since, there have been different solving methods and strategies to decrease the number of moves needed to solve and lower the amount of time needed to solve it. One of the original competitors in that first completion, Jessica Fridrich, invented her own method for solving the cube. Over the years her original method has been added to by other speed cubers. That method, which is used to some degree by most every speed cuber today, is known as the Fridrich Method.
In this capstone, I will be setting out to analyze some of the very basic algebra behind the Rubik’s Cube. This will allow a better understanding of how to finish the last layer of the cube using the Fridrich Method. This final step in the method is the permutation of the last layer (also referred to as PLL). These PLL algorithms that will result are not the only algorithms needed to solve the cube using the Fridrich method; however, the same type of group theory is behind the construction of all algorithms for the cube. I will also include an intuitive guide to solving the cube that anyone can use to solve without the use of the internet to look up algorithms.
MATH 499, Capstone
Connie Wilmarth
PFB 103
2:30 – 3:00 PM