23 July 2008

Rubik's cube hustling?

So I've finally memorized a solution to the Rubik's Cube. (I may be speaking too soon; let's see if the move I could never remember is still in my head tomorrow.)

I'm very slow, though. It's not the most efficient solution.

That got me thinking. There are pool hustlers, who act like they're no good at pool, start taking bets, and then all of a sudden are really good. If someone could solve the Rubik's cube really quickly, could they make money off it as a Rubik's cube hustler? Bring the cube somewhere where there are people, act like you can only solve it slowly, take bets, and then solve it quickly.

It just might work.

It would be crucial to find the right audience, though -- somewhere where people are familiar with the cube. So a bar, the typical place for pool hustling, wouldn't work. The right math department might work. But not mine -- I have readers within my department, and I'm pretty sure I've given too much away by making this post. Fortunately I don't have the skill to pull this off anyway.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Only Rubik's cube bet I'd make with you is that I can solve one faster. I used to know a fairly thoroughly optimized algorithm, and could probably work it out again in a day or two if orals weren't looming.

CarlBrannen said...

I took a quick look at those solutions and I think they are unsuitable for the mind of a mathematician. Rather than fairly complicated sequences of moves, a much more elegant way to solve it is to study carefully what happens when you execute the commutator of two adjacent sides rotated by 90 degrees.

That is, let the two sides be R and L and let these designate a 90 degree rotation. Do a R L /R /L transform and call this "X". This will swap two pairs of corners, and perform a cyclic permutation on three edge cubies.

This is a 6th root of unity. Taking the transformation to the 2nd and 3rd powers are useful for twisting corners and edges.

Other than that, commutations between X and any simple thing like T will be very useful.

Buddha Buck said...

With pool, there's a seeming continuum of skills. Most people who play pool can get to the skill level they need to be at to be taken by a hustler (better than most of the folks they know, but not super great). So a hustler can pretend to be less skilled than he really is until cash is on the line.

With a Cube, it's different. For most people, just being able to solve it is beyond their abilities/knowledge, and they are amazed at those who can. I certainly wouldn't take the bet of a stranger that he can solve it -- if he's willing to bet, I'm pretty sure he does.

That leaves solving time/number of moves/some other metric, amongst cubists, as the sole betting criterion.

I know multiple methods of solving the cube. Using a method I've been using for years) I just did a cube in 1:16 (and it felt slow). Using another method I'm trying to learn, 6:58. I suppose I could hustle someone by solving it a few times using the new method, betting I can do it more quickly, then switch to the old. But I doubt I'd get many takers.

Hany M. El-Hosseiny said...

Don't you have a summer stipend?

Anonymous said...

Or this post is part of the hustle. We're on to you!

Anonymous said...

Do you listen to Jay-Z?

Anonymous said...

Good day !.
You re, I guess , probably very interested to know how one can manage to receive high yields .
There is no need to invest much at first. You may begin to receive yields with as small sum of money as 20-100 dollars.

AimTrust is what you haven`t ever dreamt of such a chance to become rich
The company represents an offshore structure with advanced asset management technologies in production and delivery of pipes for oil and gas.

It is based in Panama with affiliates around the world.
Do you want to become a happy investor?
That`s your chance That`s what you desire!

I`m happy and lucky, I started to take up income with the help of this company,
and I invite you to do the same. If it gets down to choose a correct companion who uses your funds in a right way - that`s the AimTrust!.
I make 2G daily, and what I started with was a funny sum of 500 bucks!
It`s easy to get involved , just click this link http://ycufojykyv.virtue.nu/yjolyz.html
and go! Let`s take this option together to get rid of nastiness of the life

Anonymous said...

Good day, sun shines!
There have been times of troubles when I didn't know about opportunities of getting high yields on investments. I was a dump and downright stupid person.
I have never thought that there weren't any need in big starting capital.
Now, I'm happy and lucky , I begin to get real income.
It's all about how to choose a proper companion who uses your money in a right way - that is incorporate it in real deals, parts and divides the income with me.

You can get interested, if there are such firms? I have to tell the truth, YES, there are. Please get to know about one of them:
http://theinvestblog.com [url=http://theinvestblog.com]Online Investment Blog[/url]