X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: f996b,3359f3c62361f7d6,start X-Google-Attributes: gidf996b,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 1994-04-19 09:34:54 PST Path: gmd.de!nntp.gmd.de!xlink.net!news.dfn.de!scsing.switch.ch!swidir.switch.ch!newsfeed.ACO.net!Austria.EU.net!EU.net!howland.reston.ans.net!news.intercon.com!panix!zip.eecs.umich.edu!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!jobone!lynx.unm.edu!SantaFe!news.santafe.edu!scott From: scott@santafe.edu (Scott D. Yelich) Newsgroups: alt.ascii-art Subject: RUBIC thing movie Date: 19 Apr 1994 16:34:54 GMT Organization: Santa Fe Institute Lines: 553 Distribution: world Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: coronado.santafe.ede this is old... but perhaps some people might enjoy it. IDEA: This puzzle has two sides: a) and b) +-+-+ +-+-+ |[|]| | | | +-+-+ +-+-+-+ |[|]| | | | | +-+-+ +-+-+-+ <--Solved. |[|]| | | | | +-+-+ +-+-+-+ |[|]| +-+-+ <-- Original State. The "a" state above represents the virgin, or the same state that the puzzle was when it was in the packaging box. The "b" state above represents that completely solved puzzle state. The pieces will never "trade" or "switch" sides. You can look at the puzzle as see this quite clearly as some of the squares have links which inter-connect and other squares have links which don't connect. With the puzzle in the "a" state, the links do no inter-connect. With the puzzle in the "b" state, the links appear to be inter-conntected, but actually, this is the other side of the pizzle. If the puzzle is in the "a" state, look at the other side-- it will be a mess and it will have images of inter-connecting links. If the puzzle is in the "b" state, the links will be inter-connecting, but on the other side, the links should never touch! With this in mind..... Basically, once you can get the images on the ONE (the only possible) side of the puzzle in any form similar to: O OO Where the colored rings are inter-connecting and the colors match. >From this position, you can have various shapes, some of which could be: XX XX OX XX OX OO XX XX OX OO XX OXX XOX OO XX XX OOX XOO Etc.... It will be possible to directly solve the puzzle. This idea may be extended to the 12 piece puzzle. IMHO, It's actually easier to go from the "solved" state to the beginning state, I think you can probably perform all the moves that I will describe in about five seconds or less-- I think it's about twelve moves. However, I will start from the beginning state as it is not too difficult to get the pizzle to this position. Lets solve this thing! Get the puzzle to state "a"..... (Please bear with my simplified ASCII representations.....) ---[ 8< CUT HERE ] ----------------------------------------------------------  +- Yellow/Yellow V +-+3+-+1+ / /C/ /A/ +-+-+-+-+ /D/ / /B/ +-+-+-+2+  +-+3+-+1+ | |C| |A| +-+-+-+-+ /D/ / /B/ +-+-+-+2+  +-+3+-+1+ \ \C\ \A\ +-+-+-+-+ /D/ / /B/ +-+-+-+2+  +-+3+-+1+-+ /D/ / /B/ +-+-+-+2+  +-+-+-+-+ / /c/ /a/+ +-+3+-+1+/ +-+-+-+2+  +-+-+-+ /c/ /a/ +3+-+1+ /D/ / 2 +-+-+-+  +-+-+-+ /c/ /a/| +3+-+1+b+ |/D/ /2/ +-+-+-+  +-+-+-+ /c/ /a/ \ +3+-+1+ b + \ /D/ 2 / +-+-+-+  +-+-+-+-+ /c/ /a/b/+ +3+-+1+2+/ +-+-+-+-+  +-+-+-+-+ +c| |a|b|-+ +3+-+1+2+/ +-+-+-+-+  +-+-+-+-+-+-+ \c\ \a\b\ / +3+-+1+2+  +-+-+-+-+ / /D/ / / +-+-+-+-+-+  +-+-+-+-+ / /D/ / / +3+-+1+2+ /C/ /A/B/ +-+-+-+-+  + + / \ / + +-+-+ /+ / \ / + +-+-+ / 3 /D/ / + C +-+1+ \ / /A/ +-+-+  + + /| /| + +-+ + /3/D/2/ +C+-+b+ |/ /|/ +-+-+  + / \ + + / 2 / + b + / \ / +-+-+  +-+-+ / / /+ +3+2+/ /c/b/+ +-+-+/ +-+-+  +-+-+ / / /| +3+2+-+ /c/b/ +-+-+ +-+-+-+  +-+-+ / / / \ +3+2+-+-+ /c/b/ +-+-+ \ \a\ +-+-+  +-+-+-+ / / / +3+2+ /c/b/ +-+-+ | |a| +-+1+  +-+-+ /d/ / +-+-+ / / / +3+2+ /c/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  +-+-+ |d| | +-+-+ / / / +3+2+ /c/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  +-+-+ \d\ \ +-+-+ / / / +3+2+ /c/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  +-+-+-+ / / / +3+2+ /c/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  +-+-+ /D/ /+ +-+-+/ +3+2+ /c/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  + / \ + D +-+ \ / /+ /+-+/ +3+2+ /c/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  + /| +D+-+ |/ /+ /+-+/ +3+2+ /c/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  + / +-+ +/ /+ /+-+/ +3+2+ /c/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  +-+ /d/+ +-+/+ /+-+/ +3+2+ /c/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  +-+-+ | |d|-+ | +-+/+ | +-+/ +3+2+ /c/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  +-+-+ +-+ \ \d\ /+ \ +-+/ +3+2+ /c/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  +-+ / /+ +-+-+-+/ +3+2+ /c/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  +-+ / /+ +-+-+/ / /D/+ +-+-+/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  + / + /+-+ +-+/ / / /+2+ +-+/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  + /+ + | /| +-+ +d|/ / /| +2+ +-+/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  + / \ + | / \ +-+ + d +/ / \ /+2+ +-+/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  +-+ / / \ +-+ + /d/+\ / +-+/+2+ +-+/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  +-+ / / \ +-+-+ + +-+\ / / /+2+ +-+/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  +-+ +-+ \D\ / \ +-+ + +-+\ / / /+2+ +-+/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  +-+-+ |D| /\ +-+ + +-+\ / / /+2+ +-+/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  +-+ /D/+-+ +-+/ / / /+2+ /D/+-+ +-+/ / / /+2+ +-+/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  + / +-+-+ / / / +-+2+ / /b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  + /| +d+-+-+ /|/ / / + +3+2+ |/c/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  + / \ + d +-+-+ / \ / / / + +3+2+ \ /c/b/ +-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+  +-+-+-+ /d/ / / +-+3+2+ / /c/b/ +-+-+-+ / /a/ +-+1+