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From: "Carl G." <carlgnews@microprizes.com>
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
Subject: Re: 3x3 twisty puzzle talk
Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2024 16:38:21 -0700
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On 10/17/2024 11:20 AM, Daniel wrote:
> "Carl G." <carlgnews@microprizes.com> writes:
> 
>> On 10/6/2024 7:32 PM, Daniel wrote:
>>> Hey folks -
>>> Just subbed this NG hoping to get advice on 3x3 twisty cube
>>> technique.
>>> Currently, I'm learning Roux technique and strugling on the four
>>> final
>>> edges - the online wiki's seem to be written for a different sort of
>>> reader because I simply don't understand. The online puzzle solvers
>>> don't utilize predefined techniques.
>>> Is this a good NG for this? Any cubers in here?
>>> I tried a big cubing forum, but the people on there aren't friendly.
>>> Thanks,
>>> Daniel
>>
>> Coincidentally, I was just reading a couple of chapters about cubes in
>> Douglas Hofstadter's book "Metamagical Themas".  These chapters were
>> originally printed in Hofstadter's column in Scientific American in
>> March 1981 ("Magic Cubology") and July 1982 ("On Crossing the
>> Rubicon").   The first chapter in particular (March 1981) discusses
>> the step-by-step thought processes involved in figuring out a solving
>> technique.  You also learn a bit about how group theory relates to
>> cube solving.
> 
> I will look at my library for this book, thanks for the heads up. I'm
> actually fascinated by the group theory aspect, as I saw some archived
> early usenet discussions on it at the university level where math
> scholars were excited about it.
> 
> Available on gopher if you use it, search for rubik's cube and the
> archive should appear near the top of the results page.


If you subscribe to the online version of Scientific American, you can 
download *.PDF versions of the original articles.  I recently subscribed 
because I wanted copies of the old Mathematical Games and Amateur 
Scientist columns, plus some 1980s articles written about optical 
illusions.  I paid $39 for one year, but there are supposed to be 
discounts for up to 70% off the regular cost (e.g., a 50% student discount).

-- 
Carl G.


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