How to solve a Rubik’s cube
A Rubik’s cube is a three-dimensional toy or puzzle that came into existence in 1974. It was invented by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Erno Rubik. The architecture of the original Rubik’s cube consists of six faces, where each face is covered by nine stickers of different colors: white, blue, orange, red, green, and yellow.
The latest version of the Rubik’s cube has been modernized to colored plastic panels, which prohibits striping and fading. In the current Rubik’s model, the different colors, like blue is opposite to green, white is opposite to yellow, and orange is opposite to red, and red, blue, and orange are organized in a clockwise arrangement.
Previously the color of the Rubik’s varied from cube to cube. An internal Rubik’s cube mechanism allows each face to spin freely. Thus you can easily mix up the colors. The Rubik’s considered to be solved only if each face is turned to a single color.
Solving the Rubik’s cube may be quite difficult or frustrating, and it may look next to impossible to restore its initial shape. However, once you learn a few algorithms to solve the Rubik’s cube, it is quite easy to solve. In this tutorial, we will discuss the layer procedure. In the layer procedure, first, we will solve the first layer, then the middle layer, and in last the last layer.
First Layer:
Select one face to start:
Let’s understand this concept with an example; first, select the color for the first layer is white. If you are going to solve the Rubik’s cube, it is essential to ensure that start solving the cube other than white color may be confusing.
Solve the cross:
Once you select the white face to start, you need to find the side with the white square located at the center and keep it on top. After now, fit into position the four edges that include white. The color which the edges have must be in line with both the white center and the center on the sides of the cube. You need a maximum of 8 moves to solve the cross.
If you place a white edge at the correct position, but it is flicked around, you need to put it out of the top layer and to control it effectively.
+If you are facing extreme difficulties, you need to insert white edge next to the yellow centerpiece alternatively and then spin each edge above its correct center, afterward taking it down, so it is now placed next to the white center.
Turn the cube at 180° position so that the cross-place on the bottom.
Solve the four corner:
Once you solve the cross of the first layer, you need to solve the four corners of the first layer, step by step. You should also be capable of locating the corners on its correct position without requiring any algorithm. You can find an example of solving the one corner given diagram.
Make sure the first layer is correct:
Finally, you should now have the first layer finish, and it looks like this from the bottom side (shown in the given diagram).
Middle Layer
Locate the four edges of the middle layer:
In the middle layer, place the four edges, it is those edges that do not contain the yellow color. Here, you need to learn only one method to determine the middle layer, and the second method is symmetrical to the first method.
If the edge piece is situated in the last layer:
If the position of the edge piece in the middle layer but not in the proper direction or the wrong position, you need to implement the same procedure to locate any other edge piece in its location. Your edge piece will then located in the last layer, and you just need to utilize the algorithm again to locate it accurately in the middle layer.
Ensure appropriate positioning:
Now, you have completed the first two layers, and it looks like this from the bottom side (shown in the given diagram).
Last Layer
Change the corners:
In this step, your main objective is to place the corners of the last layer in their appropriate place, regardless of their location.
After now, place the two adjacent corners that share a color that is different from the top layer (in our case, it should be other than yellow).
Now, you need to spin the top layer until these two adjacent corners are on the appropriate color side. For example, if the two neighboring corners are red in color, you need to turn the topmost layer until it changes in the red color. Make sure that on the other side, the two corners of the topmost layer will consist of the color of that side as well (we have considered orange color in our case).
Now, you need to decide whether the two adjacent corners of the front side are in their perfect position or not, if needed, interchange them as per your choice. We have already considered in our example the right side in green color, whereas the left side is the blue color. Therefore the front corner of the right side must comprise of green color, and the front corner on the left side must comprise of blue color. If it is not an incorrect position, you need to interchange those two corners with the given algorithm.
Apply the same algorithm with two corners at the backside of the cube. Turn around the cube at that position so that the other side in front of you. Exchange the two front corners if required.
You have another option; if you focus that both the front pair as well as the back pair of corners need to be swapped, you can do it with the previous algorithm.
Adjust the corners:
Find each top color of the corners (yellow in our case). You need to learn only a single algorithm to adjust the corners.
The algorithm which you will use to adjust the corner will spin three corners on themselves at once from the side to the top. In the given diagram, the blue arrows depict which three corners are you spinning, and in which direction ( in our case clockwise direction). In the given figure, if the yellow stickers are shown in a particular way, and you perform the algorithm once, you will see the four yellow stickers from the top side.
Here, it is also easy to use the symmetrical representation algorithm ( in the given figure the arrows are in a counter-clockwise direction):
Executing one of these algorithms more than one time is similar to performing the other. In some cases, you will have to perform the algorithm more than one time.
The diagram given below illustrated two correctly oriented corners:
The diagram given below illustrated no correctly oriented corner:
Generally, you need to use the symmetrical algorithm in those cases:
The two correctly aligned corners:
No correctly aligned corners:
Interchange the edges:
If you want to interchange the edges, you need to know only one algorithm for this step. Here, you have to check whether one or many edges are already inappropriate positions (In this case orientation does not matter)
If all the edges are in their appropriate place, you are perfectly done with this step.
If only one edge is perfectly placed, you need to use the following algorithm. You can also get the symmetrical edges depicted in the given diagram.
Or it is symmetrical:
Executing more than once these algorithms are similar to performing the other.
If all the edges are not placed correctly on their position, you need to execute one of the two algorithms once from any side. Once you execute the algorithm, you will have only one edge to place correctly.
Adjust the corners:
Once you interchange the edges, you need to learn two algorithms for the final step.
After now, you need to note the down, left, up, right, pattern to most of the dedmore “H” and “Fish” algorithms. Here, you need only one algorithm to remember.
If all four edges of the Rubik’s are flipped, execute the “H” pattern algorithm of any of the sides. Afterward, you need to execute that algorithm once more to solve the Rubik’s cube.
Notations
This is the key to the notations used:
The pieces that construct the Rubik’s cube are known as Cubies, and the different color stickers on the cubes are known as Facelets.
The cubies are divided into three different types:
Centre Cubies:
The center cubies refer to the cubie pieces that are located at the center of each face of the Rubik’s cube. There is a total of six cubies, and each has one facelet, they always stick in the same location corresponding to each other.
Corner Cubies:
The corner cubies refer to the cubic pieces that are located at the corner of the Rubik’s cube. There is a total of eight corners, and each has three facelets.
Edge Cubies:
The edge cubies refer to the edge pieces that are located between each pair of the corresponding corners. There are 12 different edges in the Rubik’s cube, and each has two Facelets.
All cubes do not have the same color arrangements. The colors utilized for these illustrations is known as BOY (Blue, Orange, and Yellow, are faced in the clockwise direction). Here, you need to analyze the locations of the centers corresponding to each other, as this is always your color arrangements.
White is located opposite to yellow.
Blue is located opposite to green.
Orange is located opposite red.
Orange is also located to the right of blue only if white is facing up.
Two different views used in this tutorial:
3- Dimensional view:
A 3-dimensional view is representing three sides of the cube. The front (red), the top (yellow), and the right side (green). In the above-mentioned step 4, the algorithm (1.b) depicted with a picture representing the left side of the cube (blue), the front (red), and top (yellow).
Top view:
A top view is representing only the top side of the cube (yellow). In this case, the front side is located at the bottom (red).
Each bar shows the position of the facelet for the top view:
In the above-mentioned diagram, the yellow facelets of the top back corner are located on the top side, while the yellow facelets of the top front corners are both placed on the front side of the cube.
The arrow (blue or red) mentioned above depicts what the algorithm will do:
Let’s suppose if the algorithm mentioned above in (3.a) will spin the three adjacent corners on themselves, as illustrated in the given diagram. If the yellow Facelets are similar as illustrated in the diagram, once the algorithm ended, you will see on the top.
The cube diagonal is considered as an axis of rotation.
The arrow, which is represented by blue color shows the clockwise turn.
The arrow, which is represented by red color shows the counter-clockwise turn.
The light blue Facelets suggest that an edge is not correctly aligned (For the top view):
In the above-mentioned diagram, the edges which are located on the left and right both the sides are incorrectly aligned. If the top face is indicated by a yellow color, the yellow Facelets for both the edges are not located on the top.
It is essential to see the cube from the front side:
The diagram given below illustrates the rotation of the front side:
The given diagram shows the rotation of one of the three vertical rows:
The diagram given below depicts the rotation of one of three horizontal rows:
The diagram given shows an example of a move.
