[next] [prev] [up] Date: Thu, 12 Dec 91 10:29:04 -0500 (EST)
[next] [prev] [up] From: Dan Hoey <hoey@aic.nrl.navy.mil >
~~~ ~~~ [up] Subject: Rubik's cube dice tops

ronnie@cisco.com (Ronnie Kon) writes:

An original Sam Loyd puzzle involving the Rubik's cube has come into
my hands; somewhat surprising, in that Sam Loyd died in the early
years of this century, but no more so than the truly astounding
circumstances by which the puzzle came to me, which I would detail
if I believe that anyone were interested.

Hmm. A likely story.

We are challenged to find ``tops'',

... dice which are misspotted, by having only three different
numbers on them, each appearing opposite to itself ... spotted
1-2-3, ... from a standard cube in 14 moves.

Where he counts a half turn, a slice, and and a half-slices as one
move each. I have found how this can be done in 13 such moves. I
have some suspicion that it can be done in 12; I'll let you know.

We are then challenged to convert this

... into 2-3-4 tops ... in only 3 moves.

The second part can be solved by any person who achieves mastery of
the cube.

Dan Hoey
Hoey@AIC.NRL.Navy.Mil


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