Date: 23 Nov 1983 06:56:09-EST
From: genrad!decvax!dartvax!andyb at mit-eddie,
Received: by decvax.UUCP (4.12/4.2)
	id AA26306; Wed, 23 Nov 83 03:10:45 est
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 83 03:10:45 est
From: decvax!dartvax!andyb
Message-Id: <8311230810.AA26306@decvax.UUCP>
To: decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!ALAN@MIT-MC, genrad!decvax!dartvax!andyb@MIT-EDDIE
Subject: Rubik's cube cornered
Cc: ALAN@MIT-MC

Alan:

Feel free to rebroadcast any of this discussion to the cube-lovers list.
(Could you enroll me on the list, also?)

Both solutions were generated by "brute force", using a fairly short PL1
program running on a VAX. The solutions are tables which express the
information "if the pyramid/cube's state is X, the best move is Y" for all
possible states. In that sense, they are optimal solutions, but if you wanted
to know the best solution for any particular state, you would have to carry the
entire table around with you. Perhaps we could publish the list :-)

The Magic Pyramid is the one sold under the name "Pyraminx" -- it's the
tetrahedron that rotates in only 4 planes.

The cube solution is for corners only, with no reference to centers or edges.
You could think of it as a complete solution to the "Pocket Cube", which is
a 2x2x2 cube.

Glad to help.
                             Andy Behrens (& L. Kelley)
                             decvax!dartvax!andyb