Message #416

From: Remigiusz Durka <thesamer@interia.pl>
Subject: New shortest 3x3x3x3 = 333
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2007 17:03:37 +0200

Continuation…

I’ve decided to do everything in classic way but using:

4 Move Edge (3C) Sequence:

Top 6 Left
Front 5 Left
Top 6 Right
Front 6 Right

8 Move Corner (4C) Sequence (with fliping two 3C pieces):

Top 4 Left
Left 15 Left
Top 4 Right
Right 4 Right
Top 4 Left
Left 15 Right
Top 4 Right
Right 4 Left

I’ve used scrable which was used by Roice and Matt.

From Roice’s log I learnt that he (R.N.) finished:

-2C having 48 twists on his twist counter
-3C having 196 twist on his counter (so he used 148 twists)
-4C having 334 twists

Now the really funny thing!

I’ve managed to do:
-2C in 47
-3C in 149

So at point 196 twists I had the same situation like Roice! (Oh, In my solution I had some 3C pieces with were fliped but it’s no important because during 4C serie there are 3C flips but there is no 3C pieces movement).

We both even had (at this point) 1 correct 4C piece (I don’t know if the one Roice had was lucky, mine wasn’t, I carefully rotated this pieces during II 3C serie which I’ve needed for last three 3C pieces). Nevertheless I got 350 result! It was better than last time but still about 16 twists to much. (3:0 for the Roice).

I was desperated and stubborn (look into attached screen or one of the link below):

http://genezis.autko.net/hypercube/files/short/9x3C-to-go.PNG

http://games.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/4D_Cubing/photos/view/e06c?b=1&m=f&o=0

One thing corresponding to the last discussion -> I had to use m$ paint to plan the situation (because invisibility of the 8th face). Paint was really helpful !!! No, I couldn’t use (Ctr+click) to look. From time to time I was moving log backward (just checking) and I couldn’t use Ctr or anything more to see which sticker is invisible because I would change the log. Maybe the should be somekindof highlighting hypersticers showing which color is on the sticer belonging to 8th face??? Puting cursor on it and somekind of info which sticker is hidden?

Yesterday I sat down on the cracking the record again. I end up with 2 corners Fliped! and one 3C piece rotated… (I had 334 twists on my counter :|). I’ve returned a little bit and -> I got my cube solved in 339 twists :|. Only 5 twists! I’ve returned even more back and made rotation 3C piece somewhere during solution (using III 3C Serie). It took me some time to plan everything and I got… 335… One more to go.

I started checking log again: twist by twist trying to find some preliminary moves which can be done shorter. I found 2 twist which could be changed into one!!! It meant 334 twists for me. Yeah! At this point something strange happend, becuse I couldn’t delete these two entries and put one… The cube was at the end really mixed. I was laughing that probably there is somekinde profecy which tells that there will be End of the World when someone breaks Roice’s record. I tried and tried. And I couldn’t change IN LOG these two moves into single one ! It was just like everythin was fighting against me trying to crack this record. I’ve needed a break…

After some time I gave another try. And I did it… But still I wanted to break the record!

I’ve found another twist which could be shave. I’ve chaged this in log… but I couldn’t SAVE it!!! "What the hell?" - I’ve though and I suddenly realise -> it’s 333 twists = 666/2 <lol>

Still don’t know what was going on. I had to do this one more time, becuse there was something wrong with the program so I had to shut it down…

Finally I got it! 333 solution… I didn’t believe that it can be done. 334 twists was really scary to even start dealing with this in first place….

Ufffffffffffff…

There is something strange with so close correlation of ours solution if we look at complexity of 3x3x3x3. All phases were almost equal. +/- 1. At the end we used the same amount of twists for 4C and 3C pieces! and the only difference was with one twist less in my 2C phase! I think it means that we were close to the physical limit of the method concerning doing one kind of pieces by another… Damn close… It’s really hard to think about making drasticlly something better with our solutions. Everything which will be less it would be only! because of the… luck.

Many times I was wondering should I do preliminary moves for the 3C Serie, containing 4 moves, trying to put for example 4 pieces? Or just apply 4 twist macro for the one single pieces.

I was doing preliminary moves (but really suffisticeted and efficient) and Roice (as I could tell) was doing clean use of his 4twist Serie puting one piece each time. I was trying to minimalize all losts and I was balancing on the edge of my abillities… My macros were pretty short: 4 twists, 8 twists, and one time… I’ve used 14 :)

——————
Melind wrote:

Congratulations Remi!

That’s a lot of 3’s!! I don’t think I ever expected to see anyone crack
Roice’s shortest 3^4. If you had waited just 4 more days his record
would have lasted exactly 3 years! And you even used macros!! Roice has
not been very active on the mailing list for a while but I remember how
firmly retook the shortest record back every time anyone broke his so I
wouldn’t be surprised to see him do that again. I think that he feels
that this prize belongs to him. I expect him to turn in a sub-300
solution before we’re finished. We shall see.

I’ve now recorded Remi’s new record. Let the battle of the big brains begin!
-Melinda
——————

Again from my side: FULL RESPECT for you ROICE. I still remeber that you did your result without any pressure!

Take care Roice and good luck,

Remigiusz D.