The Enlightenment Brought by the Rubik's Cube

原创强风ht 强风Talk

Recently, I have been playing with Rubik's cube so much that my neck hurts. I am addicted to it, maybe I have obsessive-compulsive disorder and I always feel compelled to restore the original order of the cube, or just because I make progress every time I practice, which makes me feel good. I started by solving a 3*3 Rubik’s cube, and then I learned 2*2, 4*4 and 5*5. I have learned a lot and I would like to share it with you.

1.Practice makes perfect.

My wife and I both started learning the 3x3 Rubik's cube at the same time. She solved it faster than me the first time, but after that, every time we competed with each other, I was faster than her. This is because I practiced every day, and the Rubik's Cube is not something that you just learn the method for and are done with. It requires continuous practice to understand the algorithms, build muscle memory and discover shortcuts and improvements in the existing algorithms that can make you faster.

2.Feedback.

There is a thought experiment about a 3*3 Rubik's cube, where a blind person plays with the cube and turns it once per second. Without any prompts, it would take him 137 billion years to get all six sides right. However, if a simple adjustment is made to this scenario, where the blind person is told after each turn whether they are getting closer to or further from the correct result, this small change allows him to get all six sides right in just 2.5 minutes. The process of solving a Rubik's cube is also a process of continuous feedback, where you can see the result in real-time and then decide what to do next. Establishing a feedback mechanism is very important.

3.Step by step.

The basic process for solving a 3x3 Rubik's cube is to solve the first layer, then the second layer, and finally the third layer to complete all sides. In this process, you cannot mess up the parts that have already been solved, and you need to gradually solve the rest of the parts based on this foundation. After learning how to solve a 3x3 Rubik's cube, I was still not satisfied and started trying to solve a 2x2 Rubik's cube, thinking that it should be easy after solving the 3x3. However, after trying for a while, I gave up. I had to watch videos to study the algorithms, and I found that the 2x2 only uses two simple algorithms from the 3x3. Learning how to solve 4x4 and 5x5 Rubik's cubes is a bit more difficult, but ultimately they can also be transformed into a 3x3 form to solve all the sides. With the experience in solving the 3x3, the 4x4 and 5x5 will be much easier to solve.

4.To retreat in order to advance.

In most cases, solving a Rubik's cube is a step-by-step process, but when you are about to finish, you will find that this rule does not work. Because any small move affects the whole cube, if the cube is almost solved and you make a random move, it feels like the cube has been scrambled again. When I first learned to solve a Rubik's cube, I felt panic when I reached the final step, and I couldn't remember where I was in the process, so I had to start from the beginning again. This was very frustrated after a few tries. Later, with more experience, I realized that I have to keep calm. Temporary scrambling the cube is for the ultimate victory, so don't panic and don't act impulsively.

5.It is difficult to be water for one who has seen the great seas.

Recently, I have been solving a lot of 4x4 and 5x5 Rubik's cubes, because these cubes have some special cases that require very complex algorithms, so I have to practice and strengthen my memory. When I go back to solving a 3x3 Rubik's cube, it is indeed easier.

I feel like I'm getting further and further away from my original goal of playing with Rubik's cubes. My two children still haven't learned how to solve a 3*3 Rubik's cube, maybe my algorithms are too complicated, or I'm not patient enough. In any case, I haven't been able to achieve my goal. It's hard to teach my children, I have to try other methods.