Rubik's FAQ version v002 - 02/12/1998 Introduction 02/07/1998 This is a rough SECOND draft of a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) about puzzles, Rubik's type puzzles to be more exact. With this, I hope that many basic questions can be answered in one place for the average casual puzzler. This document is in simple text format with page breaks. It was designed with a maximum of 78 characters width, so that any simple DOS (if you're using DOS or Windows derivative, like EDIT) text editor will fit it all in the screen. I believe that Unix based text will also have no difficulties displaying this, but I have no way to confirm. Each of the sections have questions grouped together by rough categories. First we attempt to answer why a FAQ is even needed. Section 2 spends a great deal explaining about various puzzles. Section 3 pertains to the availability of many of the puzzles described. Once you have a puzzle, the next question is how to solve it, which hopefully Section will point you in the right direction. Any first person comments are from my (Time Traveler) point of view, which I hope to eliminate in the later versions of this FAQ, except maybe for the intro section, which you are reading now. Questions? Comments? Criticisms? I'll accept the first two at my email address - chrono@ibm.net. What the heck, I'll accept the third as long as it's constructive. A word of warning: I have no doubt that there are many inaccuracies contained within. Consider that I am typing the original draft strictly from memory, so until people contribute facts and disprove my fallacies, THE DOCUMENT MAY BE INACCURATE. 02/12/1998 Let me make one last sincere statement. This project was not started on the basis of any self interest. I WANT THIS TO BE A COMMUNITY EFFORT. If you have an idea or suggestion, please let it be known! - Jin "Time Traveler" Kim 02/12/1998 Questions: New sections will be denoted by a pound(#) sign. Significantly updated sections will be marked by an asterisk(*). Reworded or corrected text will be marked with an ampersand(&). Section 1: The Basics 1.1 - What is a FAQ? 1.2 - What is the purpose of this FAQ? 1.3 - What's the point of it all? Section 2: The Puzzles 2.1 - What is a puzzle? 2.2 - What is a Rubik's Cube? &2.3 - What is a Cube-type puzzle? &2.4 - What is a Rubik Puzzle? 2.5 - What about other Puzzle types? *2.6 - Which ones are Cube-type puzzles? *2.7 - Which ones are almost Cube-type puzzles? &2.8 - Which other puzzles will be covered? *2.9 - Which ones are the Rubik puzzles? #2.10 - Which Rubik puzzles will be covered? *2.11 - Where can I see these puzzles? *2.12 - Quick reference Puzzle Master List Sections 3 and on are as of yet incomplete. In my rush to get SOMETHING released, I have yet to finish drafting even simple summaries of those below. Section 3: Availability *3.1 - How common are the puzzles? 3.2 - Which ones can I buy retail? 3.3 - Which ones are the tough ones to track down? Section 4: Solutions *4.1 - How difficult is it to solve one? 4.2 - Where can I find solution books? 4.3 - Where can I find solutions online? Section 5: History Lesson 5.1 - What is the history of the Rubik's Cube? 5.2 - Who are some of the prominent figures in cubing/puzzling? 5.2.1 - Erno Rubik 5.2.2 - David Singmaster 5.2.3 - Minh Thai 5.2.4 - Uwe Meffert 5.2.5 - Jerry Slocum 5.2.6 - Other prominent figures #Cool web links and other contact info Just more random diatribe and a list of thankyous. #Credits Contributors to the FAQ Questions Section 1: The Basics 1.1 - What is a FAQ? As stated in the Introduction, FAQ is short for Frequently Asked Questions. 1.2 - What is the purpose of this FAQ? Also as stated in the Introduction, this FAQ hopes to answer the most common questions as they relate to Rubik's Puzzles and Rubik's-type puzzles. 1.3 - What's the point of it all? As of late, there has been a surprising resurgence of interest in puzzles, and with the number of people coming out as being old-school puzzlers as well as new people picking up the hobby, there has to be something to bring together the average hobbyist. At the very least it's a way to look cool by signing your name to a large document. Section 2: The Puzzles 2.1 - What is a Puzzle? Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (Online) defines a puzzle as "1. Something which perplexes... a toy or a problem contrived for testing ingenuity;... something exhibiting marvelous skill in making." Puzzles were designed to challenge people to find a solution (or solutions, or even none at all) to a particular problem. This faq deals with tangible puzzles, ones that you hold in your hand and manipulate with your fingers. 2.2 - What is a Rubik's Cube? The classic Rubik's Cube was originally released in the States by the Ideal Toy Company back in the early 80's. The Cube is 57mm along each side of the puzzle. Each of the six faces of the puzzle are a distinct color. Each face seems to be made up of 9 squares. A visually similar cube can be made by arranging 9 cubes into a square on a flat surface. 9 more cubes are stacked on top of the original 9. Finally, a third layer of 9 cubes are stacked on top, for a total of 27 small cubes (or cubelets). The Rubik's Cube appears to be made up of 27 cubelets (with the the cubelet in the center of the stack being "invisible"). The ingeniou part about the cube is that it doesn't come apart under normal usage. A simple spring-loaded mechanism prevents the outer cubes from falling off as the whole assembly is twisted along its turning points. To solve the puzzle, one must twist the cube sequentially until all of the six faces are restored to their original colors. (quick history lesson, doesn't belong here.) The Rubik's Cube is a puzzle which was invented by Dr. Erno Rubik back in the 1970's as a demonstration piece for his architecture class. After inventing the Cube's ingenious mechanism, it didn't take too long before the puzzle caught on among the populace and by the early 1980's, the Rubik's Cube was a household name. As a puzzle, it surpassed all others in its popularity. In its short Time as a fad, the Rubik's Cube became a symbol of the 80's. Songs were written about it, a cartoon series was based on the puzzle, and many people caught the Cube fever. The cube also inspired many other puzzles to be created that were similar in style (the "Cube-Type" puzzles) before it all faded away, circa 1984. &2.3 - What is a Cube-type puzzle? A Rubik's Cube-type puzzle refers to a small group of puzzles that have a similar style of manipulation, namely, the puzzle can be scrambled and needs to be unscrambled by turning the puzzle along its axes (turning or twisting points). Specifically, Rubik's Cube-type puzzles must meet certain criteria: a) Must not come apart under normal operation. b) pieces do not slide together or pull apart. c) The entire puzzle itself is moved, not merely units within it. &d) The puzzle is in the shape of a regular geometric solid. (i.e. a "platonic" or "archimedeian" solid) e) The lines along which the puzzle turns are symmetrical no matter what face or angle the puzzle is viewed from (which barely excludes some notable pieces that would otherwise be considered "cube-type.") &2.4 - What is a Rubik Puzzle? Rubik Puzzles are puzzles which were either a) Created personally by Dr. Erno Rubik, or &b) Originally have the Rubik name attached to them. (Which differentiates them from puzzles which later adopted the name officially or otherwise, e.g. Rubik's Snake) Keep in mind that not all of Dr. Rubik's Puzzles are Cube-type puzzles and not all Cube-type puzzles are made by Dr. Rubik. 2.5 - What about other Puzzle types? There are numerous categories of puzzles (sliding block, disassembly, word, mental, ring, etc..). The FAQ covers some of them, but the main emphasis is on the puzzles that follow the guidelines for a Cube-type puzzle (Ques. 2.3), are very similar, or have Dr. Rubik's name attached to them. *2.6 - Which ones are Cube-type puzzles? Many puzzles have variants which, while visibly different, may be identical from a mechanical standpoint. In the case of the Pyraminx and the octahedron, they may essentially be considered identical from a solving standpoint. Some puzzles are capitalized, referring to their official name, while others may not have a proper name associated with them. In any case, each puzzle was listed by its major type. Important note: In all cases, it is possible to create variants where each piece of the puzzle has a specific spot as well as orientation. Such is the case with the Rubik's 4th dimension, where four of the center pieces on the puzzle had to have a small illustration line up with the others. While this increases the relative difficulty on some of the puzzles, others may not be affected by similar additions, as is the case with the Pyraminx due to its relatively limited number of actual moving pieces. In no particular order: a) Rubik's Cube: Six square faces (a cube), each face may be twisted or sliced along four different lines. Each face has 9 squares. Variants: May come in sphere form, but mechanically identical. May also come truncated or shaped into other geometric solids and in some instances may require a slightly different solving technique. Many size variants exist as well. b) Rubik's Mini Cube: Six square faces, each face may be twisted or sliced along two different lines. Each face has 4 squares. Variants: May exist, none known by the author during initial draft. &c) Rubik's Revenge (Possibly referred to as the Rubik's Master Cube in other countries?): Six square faces (a cube), each face may be twisted or sliced along six different lines. Each face has 16 squares. Variants: None known. &d) master or professor's cube (also known as Rubik's Wahn): No official name. A Meffert puzzle (re. Section 5: -> Prominent Figures in Cubing -> Uwe Meffert). Each face has 25 squares. Variants: None known. e) Pyraminx: Four faces made up of equilateral triangles (a tetrahedron). Not really a pyramid, as name may imply. Each face may be twisted or sliced along six different lines, but due to the nature of the puzzle, the end or point pieces have a trivial effect on the solving of the puzzle. Variants: Size variants as well as at least one variant where the puzzle was stellated to give it a much more complex appearance despite being equally easy to solve. f) octahedron: Eight faces made up of equilateral triangles (it is essentially two true pyramids that have been 'stuck' together, base to base.). Each face also turns along 6 lines, but just like the Pyraminx, the point pieces are considered trivial. Although mechanically different from the Pyraminx, due to the nature of the puzzle, being able to solve the former puzzle almost guarantees success in solving this one, and vice versa. Variants: Christoph's Jewel, identical to the octahedron except the point pieces are completely done away with. Otherwise mechanically identical. g) Megaminx: Twelve faces made up of pentagons (a dodecahedron), each face twisting along five different lines. Due to the nature of the slicing lines, each face appears to have a pentagram (or star) on it. Possibly originated from Meffert. Variants: The Supernova is nearly mechanically identical, except the dividing lines are spaced differently than the Megaminx, which gives each face a slightly different appearance but is otherwise solved in exactly the same manner. h) Skewb: Six square faces (a cube), each face may be turned along four different lines. A twist on the cube results in a very skewed cut which affects all six faces, making it a very different puzzle from the normal Rubik's types (skew+cube=skewb). Variants: Spherical variants of the Skewb are many and common. *i) Dino Cube: Recently confirmed, this puzzle is a dodecahedron that has two cut lines on each face. The two lines do not cut the faces symmetrically, other than the cut line itself meeting the edge of the puzzle right on its middle point. You have to see it for yourself to really understand. Go to www.byrden.com -> dodecahedrons, the one marked "sold by Uwe Meffert." Although it may appear to violate criteria E, the cut lines themselves are scattered evenly throughout the cube, and each face is cut the exact same way. Variants: None known. i) others: there are several others rumored to exist. A web page lists at least one other puzzle that may have been created by Uwe Meffert that never made it to the market (The Dino Puzzle?). Variants: N/A *2.7 - Which ones are almost Cube-type puzzles? Some of the puzzles listed here are well known by people. And while some may argue that such and such puzzle IS a cube-type puzzle, I feel that the listed criteria for a Cube-type puzzle are very specific. By no means does the criteria make these inferior in any way. I personally own several of the ones listed below. But from a strictly defined standpoint, these puzzles don't quite make the definition. a) Rubik's Domino: Essentially a cube with one layer of cubes taken out, appearing to be made up of 18 cubelets. Fails Cube-type criteria letters D and E. The puzzle is not a perfect regular polygon and is not symmetrical from all faces. In essence, due to the nature of its twists, the puzzle essentially has only two faces, a "top" and a "bottom." Variants: My understanding is that they made a version with dots and/or stickers and one where the dots were molded into the plastic to benefit the visually impaired. b) Square-1: This puzzle's "solved" shape is a cube, but due to its irregular sized pieces, the puzzle can take on wildly different shapes. It fails criteria D due to its evolving shape. Like the Rubik's Domino, this puzzle is also essentially two faced, so it also fails criteria E. Variants: None known to exist. *b) Impossiball: Spherical as the name implies. "It is a sphere made up of triangular equilateral colored pieces which can freely rotate rotate along any side of the triangles. The pieces are held in place by rubber collars and can be disassembled easily." - B.D. Thus, the Impossiball violates criteria B, which is partly about the spirit of a cube-type puzzle, i.e. the Rubik's Cube is not held together by rubber bands (which is what I first envisioned when I was 7 years old). It does not quite violate criteria D despite being a sphere because it could have easily been shaped into an icosahedron instead of a sphere. But some would argue that Impossicosahedron sounds better than Impossiball. Variants: Uwe Meffert recently reissued the Impossiball, which perhaps features less colors than the original. c) Masterball: Sphere with slicing turns that correspond to a simplified latitude/longitude line type system. Each of the eight "slices" in turn separate along 4 different lines. Variants: The Masterball comes in many 'flavors,' from the very simple (the Duomaster, which used black and white pieces) to the more complex (Circusmaster, depicting a "three-ring circus act."). In every case, it was strictly "sticker" variations. e) Puck: Shaped like a hockey puck, this puzzle has twelve semi-wedges packed around a cylinder that slices down along its diameter. Due to the nature of the scrambling method, it seems almost like a simplified version of the Square-1 or Rubik's Domino. Variants: Just like the Masterball, LOTS of them. Probably more. All just pattern, or "sticker" variants. &f) Alexander's Star: In some ways similar to the Megaminx, this puzzle has the equivalent shape of a 'great dodecahedron.' I believe that is the proper term for it. In any case, it plays like a Megaminx without the corner pieces or a center reference piece, and since it only has 6 colors for 12 "sides," there is a minor problem with solving it at the end due to the mixing of two identically colored pieces. This is opposite of the Impossiball, which is effectively like a Megaminx, but only solving the corners and no center piece. The Star mainly fails criteria D, in that it isn't a "platonic" polygon despite being considered a stellated version of one. Otherwise it would very much be considered a "cube-type" puzzle. &2.8 - Which other puzzles will be covered? There are many other fine puzzles that can be added to this list, and this one is by no means comprehensive. I have tried to stick mainly to the "classic" ones, puzzles that appeared originally in the 80's, but there may be several which required mention. a) Missing Link: A Three-dimensional "sliding block" puzzle shaped like a rectangular box. The ends were square, and three of the long "faces" of the puzzle had a "link" made up of 4 pieces which required solving. The fourth face required only 3 pieces to complete, thus allowing for one "neutral" space for pieces to be slid around in. Variants: None known. b) WhipIt: A cylinder with six different colors composed of 3 tiles for each color. The sixth color (white, on mine) is only made up of 2 tiles, again leaving 1 out to allow for pieces to slide around. Another "sliding block" puzzle. Variants: A friend of mine mentioned that he saw one where the puzzle was a longer cylinder and each color was comprised of 4 or even 5 tiles, but I have yet to see one. I can see how one could easily create one like that if one had the inclination, but due to the puzzle's relative simplicity, I believe the project would be a waste of another perfectly good WhipIt just to make a hybrid. &c) "OrbIt"(or perhaps OrbIx?): A gray sphere which cuts along one hemisphere. There is a groove cut into the sphere which follows a pattern. Within the groove moves a number of tightly packed colored "beads" which must be reorganized into their proper alignments. The puzzle may have originally been referred to as something else, maybe just "TheOrb," but I have no way of confirming this since I have seen conflicting names for it. Variants: None known. d) "Rubik's Snake": I believe this puzzle to be incorrectly named. I don't believe Dr. Rubik had a hand in its design or creation. I believe that Oddzon merely attached "Rubik's" to it to improve its recognizability. The "puzzle" is more of a design maker, but can be considered a puzzle by presenting the puzzler with illustrations and having him/her attempt to re-create the picture. Variants: Mainly size variants. e) others: Many other fine puzzles have not made the list, like the Ten Billion Barrel, the Smart Alex, the TopSpin, etc.. Some very likely belong in the list but never became well known, while others are farther and farther drifting from the focus of this FAQ. Present a case for your favorite puzzle and it may be listed. *2.9 - Which ones are the Rubik puzzles? The Rubik puzzles are the ones with Dr. Erno Rubik's name attached to them. I have attempted a rough chronological order of their first appearance, but no guarantees as to its accuracy. There may be others, I'm almost sure of it. &a) Rubik's Cube: Description given under subsection 2.6.a). Ideal Toy Company circa 1980? Oddzon c.1995(US) &b) Rubik's Mini Cube: Description given under subsection 2.6.b). ??? circa 1981? Oddzon c.1995(US) &c) Rubik's Revenge: Description given under subsection 2.6.c). Ideal Toy Company c.1982(US) *d) Rubik's Domino: Description given under subsection 2.7.a). ??? circa 19?? &e) Rubik's Magic: 8 square tiles (2x4) held together by fishing line. ??? circa 1987 Oddzon c.1995(US) &f) Rubik's Master Magic: 12 square tiles (2x6) held together by fishing line. Similar to the above. ??? circa 1987 &g) Rubik's Clock: 9 clock faces which are changed by turning dials. The dials cause different clocks to be affected different, causing the clocks to display different Times. The object was to get the clocks to all display the same Time. ??? circa 1988 &h) Rubik's 4th Dimension: Same as Cube, with 4 extra center pictures. Golden(Matchbox) c.1990(US) &i) Rubik's Die: A hollow "die" which had metal plates inside that moved. Golden(Matchbox) c.1990(US) &j) Rubik's Tangle (25 pieces): Paper tiles which are arranged to make complete loops of "rope." 25 tiles, single sided. Golden(Matchbox) c.1990(US) &k) Rubik's Fifteen: Somewhat similar to a sliding block puzzle, but whole colomns and rows are moved. Golden(Matchbox) c.1990(US) &l) Rubik's Triamid: 10 separate pieces held together by connectors. The puzzle must be taken apart a certain way for solving. Golden(Matchbox) c.1990(US) Oddzon c.1995(US) &m) "Rubik's Snake: Description given under subsection 2.8.d). ??? circa 1980 Oddzon c.1995(US) *n) Rubik's Tangle (9 pieces): Paper tiles which are arranged to make complete loops of "rope." 9 tiles, double sided. Oddzon c.1995(US) #2.10 - Which Rubik puzzles will be covered? The Rubik puzzles covered by this faq have already been mentioned. They are listed in section 2.12, the master puzzle list. All other Rubik's affiliated puzzles will, sadly, not be mentioned in the earliest versions of this FAQ. But who knows, maybe someone else will be willing to work on a detailed FAQ or "subset"-FAQ dealing with those specifically. *2.11 - Where can I see these puzzles? Check the newly started section in the end of cool web links. That section will end up being a great resource for those looking for more info. *2.12 - Quick reference Puzzle Master List To have what I would consider a reasonably complete list of puzzles, I believe that one should have most if not all of the puzzles from the first two lists and maybe a smattering of the ones in the third. I (Time Traveler) personally own all of the puzzles from the first and third lists, but still lack a few key pieces from the second list. 02/12/1998 - With the addition of the Dino puzzle, I no longer have the first list complete. :( Cube-Type a) Rubik's Cube b) Rubik's Mini Cube c) Rubik's Revenge d) "master" cube e) Pyraminx f) octahedron g) Megaminx h) Skewb *i) Dino puzzle Almost Cube-Type a) Rubik's Domino b) Square-1 b) Impossiball c) Masterball e) Puck f) Alexander's Star Other of Significance a) Missing Link b) WhipIt c) "OrbIt" d) "Rubik's" Snake Unfinished sections. Some brief notes may follow. Section 3: Availability *3.1 - How common are the puzzles? As a quick reference note, the most sought after puzzles include but are not limited to: Rubik's Revenge and Rubik's Domino. They have the greatest level of demand combined with the greatest scarcity of supply. 3.2 - Which ones can I buy retail? 3.3 - Which ones are the tough ones to track down? Section 4: Solutions *4.1 - How difficult is it to solve one? For any of you master cube-ologists, I would like you to submit a rating of the relative difficulty of solving the base puzzles, from most difficult to least difficult, 1 being easiest and 10 being hardest. Of course, not everyone has solved all of the listed puzzles, but I hope to collate the data into one master list. 4.2 - Where can I find solution books? 4.3 - Where can I find solutions online? Pull up your favorite search engine and enter the name of the puzzle which you are interested in. Generally you will get many hits. If you still want specific places to check, go to the Web Links section near the bottom. Section 5: History Lesson 5.1 - What is the history of the Rubik's Cube? Brief summary currently under subsection 2.2. 5.2 - Who are some of the prominent figures in cubing/puzzling? People of some significance to the history of puzzles and cubes, more specifically. 5.2.1 - Erno Rubik The original inventor. 5.2.2 - David Singmaster One of the first to publish a solution book. 5.2.3 - Minh Thai World Champion cube solver (was on TV show "That's Incredible."). 5.2.4 - Uwe Meffert Responsible for creation and/or manufacture of several cube-type puzzles. 5.2.5 - Jerry Slocum One of the most prominent puzzle collectors around, may have the most puzzles of anyone. His collection is estimated at over 50,000 or so. 5.2.6 - Other prominent figures Douglas Hofstadter should receive note somewhere, but I can't quite remember where he fits in all of this... #Cool web links and other contact info Ok, so you've read this far and have decided that further research into the subject above would interest you greatly. Where to go now? Here are some great links to cool pages to visit: General: General links are those that have basic information but are not necessarily directly involved with cubing. http://www.rubiks.com The whole reason this FAQ was started in the first place. Page hosted by Oddzon, the latest manufacturers of the Cube and several other puzzles in the same ideal. Puzzle collections: Pages with puzzle pictures and/or galleries. See what they look like! http://www.byrden.com This web page features many different geometric puzzles, some real, others created by a twisted genius (but perhaps impossible to manufacture). In any case, the java cubes available on this page allow manipulation, so is a great page to check out your favorite puzzles in action. http://www.twfg.de/puzzle Has photograph galleries of many of the puzzles described here. The page is mainly in German. Also a place to buy puzzles. Purchasing: http://www.puzzletts.com Despite being a commercial outlet whose web page needs some updating, this page also has several different puzzles available for sale. I (Time Traveler) have personally purchased puzzles from here on one occasion. #Credits Thank yous for the following contributors to this FAQ: (listed alphabetically) David Byrden david@byrden.com Bill Dulin wdfirestar@aol.com Philip Knudsen skouknudsen@email.dk It is now past 5am PST. Last minute changes and additions (and an upset stomach) have prevented me from going to bed hours earlier.