Previous attempts

In March 1970,Larry Nichols invented a

puzzle with rotatable pieces in groups of
2×2×2 applied for a patent
Canadian. Nichols' toy was held up.
using magnets. A Nichols was granted a patent
American (3655201) on April 11, 1972,
two years before Rubik invented his cube.
On April 9, 1970, Frank Fox patented his 3×3×3.
spherical. Received a patent of theKingdom
UnitedJanuary 16, 1974
Rubik's invention
In mid of the1970s, Ernő Rubik worked in the Department of
Interior Design at the Academy of Arts and Applied Manual Trades
[Link] it is generally said that the cube was built as
school tool to help your students understand objects
three-dimensional, its real purpose was to solve the structural problem that would achieve
move the parts independently without the entire mechanism
dismantle. Rubik did not realize he had created a puzzle until
the first time he mixed his new cube and tried to return it to the original position.
He obtained a Hungarian patent (HU170062) in 1975. Originally, the Rubik's Cube
It was called Magic Cube (Bűvös kocka) in Hungary. The puzzle had not
it was internationally patented within one year of the original patent. From
this way, patent law prevented the possibility of patenting it at the level
[Link] Toy Company I wanted at least one recognizable name for
register; the agreement placed Rubik in the spotlight due to the cube
magic was renamed after its inventor.
The first copies of the Rubik's Cube went on sale at the end of 1977 in
toy stores [Link] Magic Cube was joined by means of plastic pieces.
assembled together that prevented the pieces from separating, unlike
the magnets in Nichols' design. In September 1979, an agreement was signed with
Ideal for selling the Rubik's Cube worldwide and the puzzle made its debut.
International in toy fairsLondon,ParisNurembergyNew Yorkin
January and February of 1980.
After the international success of the Rubik's Cube in Western toy stores,
stopped briefly so that the toy could adjust to the standards
Western security and packaging. A lighter and ideal cube was produced.
Toys decided to change its name; they considered it the 'Gordian Knot' and 'Gold'
Inca," but the company ultimately decided on the "Rubik's Cube." The first
delivery was exported from Hungary in May 1980. As a result of the shortage of
Many cheaper imitations of the product emerged.

The Rubik's cube is a puzzle

traditional mechanic that consists of a cube
of six sides, each of its six sides is
covered by nine stickers that are pieces of
plastic paper of six colors that are the
blanco, rojo, azul, naranja, verde y amarillo,
these colors may vary because each one
of its central pieces show a face of
one single color, twelve jagged pieces, what is it the
line segment where two meet
colored faces and eight vertical pieces that
it is the point where three faces meet
colored, Additionally, there is a version
especially for colorblind individuals, which is a defect consisting of not distinguishing colors
of the four faces.
A standard Rubik's cube measures 5.7 cm on each side, although there are variations.
The puzzle consists of 26 pieces or small cubes. Each one includes a
hidden internal extension that intertwines with the other cubes, while allowing them
move to different positions. However, the central pieces of each one of
the six faces are simply a square fixed to the main mechanism. This
provides the structure for the other pieces to fit and rotate around. From this
there are 21 pieces: a central piece consisting of three axes that support the
six square centers in place but allowing them to rotate and 20 plastic pieces
that fit in it to form the assembled puzzle.
Each of the six centers rotates on a screw (fastener) held by the piece.
A spring between each screw head and its corresponding piece tensions.
the piece towards the inside, so the set remains compact, but still
it can be easily manipulated. The screw can be tightened or loosened to change the
tension of the cube. The most recent official brand cubes have rivets on
place for screws, making it impossible to adjust them.

In the mid-1970s, Rubik was

obsessed with building the figures
geometric shapes in 3D, and I was looking to be able to design prototypes
that could move internally without breaking. A
day, while walking along the banks of the Danube River, and
he observed the stones that lay there, Cubik felt
It happened to create a figure in which each block is
would move around a rounded center, which would allow
the free movement of the pieces.
This is how he started working on the first prototype of the famous toy, which
constaba de 21 pequeños cubos. Luego de varios diseños, creó el definitivo, y buscó
market it in your country, a complex task given that Hungary is
he found himself under the communist "Iron Curtain," which caused him a lot of pain.
head over heels due to the official blockage of his desire to patent his invention.

After several unsuccessful attempts, he partnered with a compatriot who lived in Austria.
Tior Laczi, who started calling the product "Magic Cube", and after several
presentations at international fairs, the company Ideal Toy Corp bought it and
it was agreed to produce one million units under the name "Rubik's Cube".
The striking thing is that Rubik himself initially thought that his creation had no
solution. It took the architect a month to align the sides of the cube, something
totally unthinkable, knowing that in the world tournaments that take place
since 1982, it takes only a few seconds to solve it. The record is held by the
Dutch Mats Valk, with 5.55, quite a bit less than what the first champion took.
worldwide, which resolved it in almost 23 seconds.

Erno Rubik, inventor of the famous puzzle cube

known throughout the world, and that bears his name,
he was born in Budapest (Hungary) on July 13, 1944.
Eclectic artist, his profession is that of a sculptor,
architect and designer in the Commercial
Art school (commercial art school) of
Budapest. In addition to the cube of the same name,
Rubik is the inventor of several other logic games and
strategy.
At the time of their birth, the European countries
they were experiencing the drama of the Second
World War: his father was an aerospace engineer
(he also founded a glider factory), while the mother was a poet. Erno
he graduated in Civil Engineering from the University of Budapest in 1967; then
he began studying at the Academy of Applied Arts and Design. He worked as
architect in the 70s, and then returned to the art academy of the capital
Hungarian to assume the presidency of the faculty where she had studied. The idea and
the realization of the first prototype of the cube was born in 1974: its objectives were
initially, mostly only educational and was initially spread only in
some Hungarian scientific circles and in a very limited way; the only ones
those interested were the mathematical scholars, drawn by the problems
statistical and theoretical issues that the cube raised.
In the early 1980s, Rubik became the editor of a crossword magazine.
call "... And games." An English mathematician wrote and published a
article about the cube and pushed its fame beyond the borders of Hungary. In few
years the game would invade the stores of Europe and America becoming the
the most popular - and best-selling - puzzle in history. The particular object gave rise to
an unstoppable true mania: in 1982 alone, more than 100 million were sold
of units. The license was first registered in Hungary as 'Cube'
"Magic", and then internationally as "Rubik's Cube": the product of the
The patent made Rubik the richest person in Hungary.
In 1983, he created the 'Rubik-Studio' for the design of furniture and games.

He became president of the Hungarian Academy of Engineering in 1990, where

As part of it, he created the 'Rubik Foundation' to promote and support young people.
particularly talented and deserving engineers and designers. Then, with the
arrival, dissemination and development of video games decided to provide advice on this
area.

A standard Rubik's cube measures 5.7 cm

on each side, there are 26 pieces
hooked to each other, what they
allows to move a different
positions. The central pieces of
each of the six faces does not
they move and the others revolve around them.

There are six central pieces that

they show a face of a single color,
twelve arista pieces that show
two colored sides, and eight pieces
vertex showing three faces
colored.
Each of the six centers rotates on a screw with a spring that makes the
the set remains together, but can be moved easily.
A classic Rubik's cube has six colors: white, red, blue, orange, green.
and yellow. A mechanism of axes allows each face to rotate.
independently, mixing the colors like this. To solve the
puzzle, each face must return to be a single color.
 2×2 Rubik's cubes

The 2×2 cubes are the smallest within the

cubic models and those that are solved the fastest.
They have a standard size of 50mm and a weight
approximately 70 g.

They are made up of eight corners and a core, that is to say

that have no visible centers or edges.

3×3 Rubik's cubes

The 3×3 cube is the most famous and well-known. It was

invented in 1974 byErnő Rubikand has become
in the best-selling toy in history.

They usually have a size of about 57mm, although

can you find some models with dimensions
a little different. On average, they weigh about 70-80 g.
in the normal models. The 3×3 are formed
by eight corners, six centers, and twelve edges. The
centers are the only pieces that are screwed to the
core, the rest of the pieces fit together.

4×4 Rubik's cubes

The 4×4 cube was invented by Péter Sebestény in

the year 1981 and is also known as the
Rubik's Revenge

Its standard size is 62 mm and its weight

it usually ranges between 120-150 g. The 4x4 is
formed by eight corners, twenty-four pieces
centers that form the six centers and others
twenty-four pieces that make up the twelve edges. In the
In a 4x4 we will not find any fixed center, so we can place any color.
in any case, although because of that when it comes to solving it we will have to
facing the parities.
 5×5 Rubik's cubes

The five-level cube was invented by Ernő Rubik.

in 1986. Also known as 'the cube of'
"Professor" is an impressive puzzle.
mechanic that shares characteristics both with the
3×3 cube like with the 4×4.

They are usually found with a size of

64mm. They are formed by eight corners, fifty
and four central pieces and thirty-six pieces that
they form their edges.

Currently, the fastest solve it in less

for a minute.

6×6 Rubik's cubes and higher

Within the large cubic models

we have models ranging from 6×6 to
impressive Yuxin 17×17. The 6×6 models and
7x7 remain competitive models. With the
models that go from the 8×8 Rubik's cube onward already
they do not participate in the WCA competition.

An omniscient player could solve it.

from any position with 20 moves or
less. A team of mathematicians, engineers
and other researchers created an algorithm
computer scientist
what resolved with success
43,252,003,274,489,856,000 positions
possible of the cube, and finally demonstrated that
there was no position, no matter how impossible
It seems that it needs more than 20.
moves to resolve themselves.
The team was able to determine this amount (which they nicknamed the 'Number of God')
dividing the possible positions into sets and reducing the number of
sets based on symmetry (some positions can be solved because they are
the opposite reflection of others). With this method, they reduced the number of sets
that really needed to be resolved to a more manageable 55,882,296. The program
that the team created to resolve the positions took about 20 seconds for it.
set, and using around 35 years of donated CPU computational time by
Google, the team solved the Rubik's cube in a few weeks. The next time that
If you get stuck, ask your computer for help. It's clear that it's embarrassing,
but this way you will avoid peeling off and sticking the colored stickers back on.

Notation.
To make learning easier for the
We will use a resolution of the Rubik's cube.
standard notation for each of the different
cube movements and we will call each one
of the 6 faces with a different name:
U = Superior (Up)
R = Right
B = Posterior (Back)
 L = Izquierda (Left)
F = Frontal (Front)
D = Inferior (Down)
To define a movement of any face of the cube, we will use the letter with the
we call the face (example: "U"). The movements are a quarter of
turn, that is to say 90 º, and in a clockwise direction. In this way, we can establish a
sequence of moves like [URBUL].

To define counterclockwise turns, we will use [']: R' UR U '.

To indicate that we make a two-quarter turn, or 180º, we will use a

"2" behind the letter: R2 U2 R 'U.

Resolution.

We will divide the resolution of the cube into 7 stages: the first 3 are quite intuitive.
the last 4 a little more complicated.

The cross Placement of the vertices of the

Vertices of the first crown last crown
Artists of the second crown Orientation of the vertices of the
Cross on the upper face last crown
Placement of the upper cross

The cross
The cross is the most intuitive part when it comes to solving the cube. The first thing that there is
What you need to know is that the center pieces of each face do not move from their spot.
to the cube. Before starting, we must choose a color and place the central piece of it
color on the upper face (U). Subsequently, we place one by one the 4
edges of the same color, ensuring that each of them matches the color of
the central piece of the adjacent faces to which we have chosen. Once done
cross, we turn the cube so that the cross is on the bottom face (D).

2. Vértices de la primera corona

At this stage, what we will do is place the 4 missing vertices to complete it.
the face where we have made the cross, each of the 4 in its place
corresponding. For this, we can encounter 3 possible cases:
 R U2 R' U' R U
R U R' F' U' F
R'

3. Artists of the second crown

In this final stage, we will complete the first two floors of the cube. To achieve this,
what we need to do is place the 4 corresponding edges on the
vertices that we have set in step No. 2. We can find 2 more cases
a third piece extra if the edge is in the wrong place or in its place but rotated:

(U R U' R') (F R' (U' F' U F) (R' F (U R U' R') (F R'

F' R) R F') F' R)

4. Cross on the upper face

Once we have completed the first two floors, we must resolve the last one.
cover. We will divide the resolution of this floor into 4 stages, of which the
First is to make a cross on the top face. We can encounter 3
cases, depending on how we have the 4 edges of the top face: the 'line',
the "square" and the combination of the two, which is a "point".
 Case 1 + U2 +
F (R U R' U') F' F (U R U' R') F'
Case 2

5. Placement of the upper cross

This stage consists of permuting the cross of the upper face so that each one of
the 4 edges that form it are in their correct position. To achieve this, we will use a
algorithm that creates a cycle or exchange of 3 pieces. We can find three
cases: permute 3 edges clockwise, permute them counterclockwise, and
to have the edges faced two by two. For the first two cases we will put
the edge well placed on the front face (the blue and yellow from the images). The
The third case is resolved by solving the first case, rotating the top face in a direction.
schedule, and then we would have the first case again (reduction).

Sense Artists
Clockwise
counterclockwise confronted

R U2 R' U' R U' R U R' U R U2 Case 1 + U +

R' R' Case 1

6. Placement of the vertices of the last crown

In this stage, we will place the vertices of the last layer in their correct position.
cube. To do this, we will use a cycle of 3 vertices that exchanges them in a direction
horario. Para empezar el algoritmo, pondremos el vértice que ya se encuentra en
his site looking towards us and to the right (position inside the UFR cube, piece
yellow, blue and red of the image). If we need a rotation in the direction
Counterclockwise we can apply the algorithm twice.
 L U R' L U R'
U'

7. Orientation of the vertices of the last crown

Finally, to finish our Rubik's cube, we need to orient the corners.
that we have previously placed in its place. To do this, we will use an algorithm
that rotates 2 vertices around themselves. We can find two cases, in a sense
clockwise and counterclockwise:

(R' D R D') (R' D (R' D' R D) (R' D'

R) U' (R' D' R D) R) U' (R' D R D')
(R' D' R U) (R' D R U')