Rubik’s Cube 3x3x3 - what is this, ah?

Rubik's Cube is a device for the improvement of fine motor skills and spatial thinking, a puzzle, a toy, a math problem, special algorithms, world-class competitions and just a beautiful thing in your interior. Any of the above statements will be correct.

What is Rubik's Cube?

Let's talk about this wonderful invention and puzzle. I promise a whole series of useful publications. Want to know more or learn how to solve the Rubik's Cube? Then add the block to your bookmarks!

The 3x3x3 (3D) mechanical puzzle cube appeared in 1974! Originally called the Magic Cube

Thanks to the Hungarian architect Erno Rubik. There is a version that the cube was originally created as a tutorial. With the help of cube, Rubik tried to teach the students the basics of mathematical group theory, as well as to help his students understand three-dimensional objects.

Watch a short video about solving the Rubik's Cube in 1.5 minutes:

On the original classic Rubik's Cube, each of the six faces was covered by nine stickers, each of one of six solid colours: white, red, blue, orange, green, and yellow.

In 1970, Larry D. Nichols invented a 2×2×2 "Puzzle with Pieces Rotatable in Groups". At the same year Frank Fox applied to patent an "amusement device", a type of sliding puzzle on a spherical surface with "at least two 3×3 arrays" intended to be used for the game of noughts and crosses.

In the mid-1970s, Erno Rubik worked at the Department of Interior Design at the Academy of Applied Arts and Crafts in Budapest.[15] Although it is widely reported that the Cube was built as a teaching tool to help his students understand 3D objects, his actual purpose was solving the structural problem of moving the parts independently without the entire mechanism falling apart.

The most difficult thing was to come up with a mechanism that connected 26 cubes that form planes.

It is interesting that the inventor himself collected his creation for the first time for almost a whole month. Originally, the puzzle was called "Magic Cube".

In January-February 1980, the international debut of the cube 3x3x3 took place. In February 1980, the puzzle made its debut at toy fairs in London, Paris, Nuremberg and New York. And the Rubik's cube began its journey around the world.

Types of cubes

There are different variations of Rubik's Cubes. 2x2x2, 3x3x3, 4x4x4 and more. Today physically there are cubes 5x5x5, 6x6x6, 7x7x7, 8x8x8, 9x9x9, 11x11x11, 13x13x13, 17x17x17! There are also virtual cubes with a large number of cubes.

Speedcubing competitions are held for cubes 2 × 2 × 2, 3 × 3 × 3, 4 × 4 × 4, 5 × 5 × 5, 6 × 6 × 6, 7 × 7 × 7.

SpeedCube competition

Competitions are held on high-speed assembly of the Rubik's cube. And there are people who can quickly solve it or learn to do it - speedcubers. At the time of this writing, I was able to solve the Rubik's cube in 1 minute, using one of the methods for beginners (I will tell you more in other blog posts). The world record of a speedcube for assembling a 3x3x3 cube is 3.47 seconds as of 2020 (the record was set in 2018).

The following competitions are held in speedy cube assembly, depending on its type:

Fast solving of cubes 2 × 2 × 2, 3 × 3 × 3, 4 × 4 × 4, 5 × 5 × 5, 6 × 6 × 6, 7 × 7 × 7.

One-handed solving of a 3 × 3 × 3 cube.

Blindfolded solving of cubes 3 × 3 × 3, 4 × 4 × 4, 5 × 5 × 5.

Solving the cube with feet 3 × 3 × 3.

Solving the cube in the fewest possible moves 3 × 3 × 3.

See how the world record was set at the official competitions in 2018: a 3x3x3 cube was completed in 3.47 seconds!

Thank's for reading! Seeing!

Read more: 

About Beginner's Methods to solve Rubik's Cube

About Fridrich method