Message #98

From: Matt Young <indigowombat@indigowombat.com>
Subject: Re: [MC4D] For your consideration
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2004 19:57:21 -0700

Hey all! Sorry you couldn’t access my log file, Melinda… I sent another
copy to the email address linked from the main site at superliminal.com, so
that’s another place to check. Or, I can send you another copy if you like,
to the email address of your choosing. Just let me know.

I’d say randomized starts are fine, but shouldn’t be required. I chose a
random start on this one, although I’d considered trying to start with
Roice’s scramble state and work from there. I figured he’d probably done
his best to make his solution as efficient as possible though, and trim any
excess fat in terms of numbers of twists. I know I certainly did in trying
to beat his mark! I think a good chunk of my success, though, was in that
the sequence I’d come up with for swapping three 4-color corner pieces used
only 16 twists, rather than 18 as Roice’s sequence requires.

Anyhow, I digress. I’d say either way is okay, whatever works for the
person attempting to break the record, since at this point, anything that
manages to set a new record has almost certainly been planned out to be as
economical as possible in terms of twists used to reach each position.

As far as Jay’s solution, I’d say adding it to the page is fine, although
perhaps phrased so as to indicate that this is the first such solution *with
this software*, as opposed to first solution ever. Just my $0.02.

–Matt Young

Melinda Green wrote:
> hello friends,
>
> yes, i’m definitely here and have intended to get to this. i tried
> just now but can’t access the log file in order to link to it. i’ll
> do that soon. and a huge congratulations to matt!!! i may have said
> this before but i never expected to see anyone beat roice’s solution
> for years if ever. you guys consistently surprise me.
>
> i don’t know how i feel about a standardized start configuration.
> standardizing definitely makes it a fair start but allows people to
> study other people’s solutions in order to find any shortcut between
> any pair of positions, which i expect everyone would agree would be
> unfair. so there is definitely an advantage to a randomized start so
> that each person is on their own but that allows people to generate
> lots and lots of starting configurations until they find one that
> happens to give them a head start. i’d love to hear everyone to chime
> in with their suggestions.
>
> and on the subject of jay’s 2^4 solution, i’ve been conflicted about
> this because i’m fairly sure that it’s been done before using other
> programs (e.g. http://home.rochester.rr.com/jbxroads/4cube.html). what
> do people think we should do? i’m thinking of adding it to the
> hall-of-fame but with a note to this effect.
>
> -melinda
>
> Roice Nelson wrote:
>
>> Sweet.
>>
>> Looks like it is time to dust of my MagicCube4d and
>> try to resuscitate some long-unused neural pathways in
>> my brain. Whether I can or not, I will at least have
>> to try to get back the shortest solution :)
>>
>> We used to have a standard starting file for the
>> shortest solution competition. We could use the
>> starting scrambled state of your new solution for
>> that. However, my vote would be to just allow a
>> random scrambled state if others were cool with that.
>> I never really agreed with the thought that a standard
>> starting state took any luck out of things anyway.
>> Thoughts?
>>
>> I wonder if Melinda is still getting these emails?
>> The Hall of Fame still doesn’t have Jay’s new first of
>> solving the 2^4 on it, and isn’t updated yet with
>> Matthew’s solution either…
>>
>> Roice
>>
>>
>> — Matt Young <indigowombat@indigowombat.com> wrote:
>>
>>> A new solution of the 3^4 MagicCube4D, solved in 467
>>> twists, has been uploaded to the "Files" section of
>>> this Yahoo group. This beats the existing record
>>> for the shortest such solution by 28 twists, if my
>>> calculations are correct.
>>>
>>> Amusingly, about 2 twists before finishing this
>>> solution, my computer video output died and I had to
>>> spend about half an hour swapping out my video card
>>> with an older one before I could go back to my last
>>> save and complete the solution.
>>>
>>> My brain kind of hurts, and it’s way past my
>>> bedtime. I’m going to bed now.
>>>
>>> –Matthew A. Young
>>>
>>
>>
>>
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