{"id":383,"date":"2009-09-17T09:43:27","date_gmt":"2009-09-17T15:43:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alliwalk.com\/blog\/?p=383"},"modified":"2009-09-17T09:43:27","modified_gmt":"2009-09-17T15:43:27","slug":"how-to-solve-a-rubiks-cube","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alliwalk.com\/blog\/2009\/09\/how-to-solve-a-rubiks-cube\/","title":{"rendered":"How to solve a Rubik’s Cube"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the Data Visualization class<\/strong> I’m on the waitlist for, we were asked to come up with the solution for solving a Rubik’s cube.<\/p>\n

To solve a Rubik\u2019s cube, you basically need to remember that the whole thing consists of a series of patterns that, if you trust them, will solve the puzzle for you. In the past, when I\u2019ve tried to solve the puzzle, I was somehow able to solve one side of tiles. Then, when I try to complete the rest of the puzzle, I find that I\u2019m stuck. Whenever I try to complete another side, I find that I am too afraid of messing up the side I\u2019ve completed, so I stop working. This fear is, of course, justified, since I do in fact mess up the side I just completed when working on the new side. <\/p>\n

I\u2019ve come to learn that what I\u2019ve been missing is an algorithm or several algorithms. \u201cAlgorithm\u201d sounds like a math term, and since I tend to stay away from math, I can\u2019t say I\u2019ve come across it before. However, since I\u2019m supposed to come up with a description for how to solve a Rubik\u2019s cube, I did some research:<\/p>\n

\u2022\tI understand that an algorithm is a set of defined instructions that are carried out until certain conditions are met. \u2013 Wikipedia<\/p>\n

\u2022\tDifferent algorithms can be used to accomplish the same task. The one that is used depends on the constraints for each task. \u2013 howstuffworks.com<\/p>\n

\u2022\tAlgorithms are used to solve a recurrent problem. \u2013 whatis.com<\/p>\n

These are all interesting, and apparently algorithms are what make up computer languages. But, using these definitions, algorithms are also what fill up cookbooks and instruction manuals. Hmmm….<\/p>\n

Well, anyway, now for my solution:
\n1. Get a Rubik’s Cube.
\n2. Turn the faces of the Rubik’s Cube, one face at a time, until one side consists of the same color in each of the nine squares. Call a side that consists of the same color in each of the nine squares a Full Side.
\n3. Repeat step 2 for each of the five colors but whenever you need to break a Full Side, so that the nine squares of the same are no longer touching, you must put them back so that they are touching again.
\n4. Repeat step 3 until there are six Full Sides. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For the Data Visualization class I’m on the waitlist for, we were asked to come up with the solution for solving a Rubik’s cube. To solve a Rubik\u2019s cube, you basically need to remember that the whole thing consists of a series of patterns that, if you trust them, will solve the puzzle for you. … Continue reading “How to solve a Rubik’s Cube”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[37,76],"tags":[337,86],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alliwalk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alliwalk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alliwalk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alliwalk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alliwalk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=383"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/alliwalk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":387,"href":"https:\/\/alliwalk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383\/revisions\/387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alliwalk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alliwalk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alliwalk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}