Study uncovers every possible Rubik's Cube solution

[JonLP24]

WASHINGTON (AFP) – An international team of researchers using computer time lent to them by Google has found every way the popular Rubik's Cube puzzle can be solved, and showed it can always be solved in 20 moves or less.

<SNIP>

"Every solver of the Cube uses an algorithm, which is a sequence of steps for solving the Cube," said the team of mathematicians, who include Morley Davidson of Ohio's Kent State University, Google engineer John Dethridge, German math teacher Herbert Kociemba and Tomas Rokicki, a California programmer.

"There are many different algorithms, varying in complexity and number of moves required, but those that can be memorized by a mortal typically require more than forty moves."

<SNIP>

Using computers lent to them by Google -- the company won't disclose how many or how powerful they are -- the team crunched through billions of Cube positions, solving each one over a period of "just a few weeks."

http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/study-uncovers-every-possible-rubik-s-cube-solution/1407748

[PCIntern]

1. But no one in the known Universe

can figure out a solution to Sarah Palin's so-called 'popularity' and 'media coverage'...they should put the computers to work on that one...

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. wow. That's a toughie.

Reminds me of the HItchhiker's Guide computer, working out how to make tea.

[slampoet]

3. Reporters are so lazy they only take news from ready make sources and prefer they be attractive.....

like the people they went to college with.

There. Save you some computing time.