Nxnxn Rubik's Cubes and God's Number
ISEF · 2022 Mathematics Third Award
Overview
The Rubik's Cube is the most popular puzzle in the world. Two of its studied aspects are God's Number, the minimum number of turns necessary to solve any state, and the First Law of Cubology, a solvability criterion. We modify previous insufficient statements of the First Law of Cubology Rubik's Cubes made by Bonzio, Loi, and Peruzzi, and prove necessary and sufficient solvability conditions. We compute the order of the Rubik's Cube group and the number of distinct configurations of the nxnxn Rubik's Cube. Finally, we derive an improved lower bound for God's Number using the group theoretical results and a counting argument.
Awards (2)
- Third Award of $1,000 $1,000
- American Mathematical Society: Second Award of $1,000 $1,000
Competition history
- ISEF 2022
Resources
Related projects
CSEF · 2002
Rotational Symmetry of Third Order Magic Cubes
CSEF · 2005
Variegation and Repeated Sequences on the Rubik's Cube
CSEF · 2004
The Sequel of Nim: Symmetries and Transformations of n-Cubes and the Nimber-Simplex Graph
ISEF · 2016
Python Cubed
ISEF · 2019
Solving a Cryptography Problem Using the Master Pyraminx
ISEF · 2020
The Rubik's Cube Reshapes Our Notion of Networks
CSEF · 2014
Speedsolving a Rubik's Cube: Which Algorithms First?
CSEF · 2008
Which Algorithm Is the Most Efficient in Solving Alexander's Star?
Closest projects by meaning, across every fair and year in the corpus.
Browse more like this
Source: Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair