Message #439

From: Chris Ahna <ahnacj@sdf.lonestar.org>
Subject: Introduction
Date: Sun, 03 Feb 2008 01:20:41 +0000

Hi, I recently joined the MC4D group after solving the 3x3x3x3 and
thought I’d send an introduction message along the lines of those
submitted by other solvers.

My name is Chris Ahna. I live in the United States, specifically in a
town called Puyallup outside of Seattle in Washington state. I’m 25
years old and work as a computer programmer, first for Intel and now for
Microsoft. I’ve been working as a programmer since graduating from
Pacific Lutheran University where I studied math, computer science, and
physics. Outside of work I play competitive Scrabble, fool around with
Rubik’s cubes, solve crossword puzzles, and go bowling.

I first saw MC4D about a year ago during a brief period where I spent a
lot of time solving Rubik’s cubes. I was interested then but didn’t
attempt a solve until getting back into Rubik’s cubes late in 2007.

I know how to solve 3D Rubik’s cubes of all different sizes, although
I’m pretty dang slow at all sizes compared to speedcubers. For example,
it usually takes me at least 90 seconds to do the 3x3x3 and at least 10
minutes to do the 5x5x5. I’ve made some progress toward learning the
CFOP method used by speedcubers, focusing on the version nicely
described at http://www.cubestation.co.uk. That said, I only know the
CFOP F2L algorithms and still solve the last layer using the basic
solution found at http://cubeland.free.fr.

To solve MC4D I designated one hyperface (blue) as the "top," the
opposite hyperface (green) as the "bottom," and the remaining hyperfaces
as the "middle."

I started by solving the first layer, i.e., all of the top hyperface and
all adjacent components of the middle hyperfaces. Next I solved the
second layer, i.e., the components of the middle hyperfaces adjacent to
neither the top nor the bottom hyperface. Solving the first two layers
in this manner took about 1000 twists and was done without macros and
with very minimal application of algorithms from the 3D cube solutions
mentioned above.

Finally I solved the last layer, i.e., all of the bottom hyperface and
all adjacent components of the middle hyperfaces. This was almost
entirely done using macros that applied different combinations of
straightforward generalizations of many of the PLL and OLL algorithms
from the two 3D cube solutions mentioned above. Viewing the bottom
hyperface like a 3x3x3, I solved the centers (two color pieces), then
the edges (three color pieces), and finally the corners (four color
pieces). Each group of pieces was solved by first permuting all of them
into the correct locations and then orienting them in place. Solving
the last layer in this manner took about 2000 twists and probably isn’t
something I would have had the patience to complete without macros.

All in all, this took 3070 twists and lots of time, at least 20 hours
spread over many different days. This seems similar to my 3D cube
solutions in that it’s slow and reliant on algorithms formulated by
others, however it was also eventually effective and a lot of fun to
figure out! :-)

Chris