Message #495

From: David Smith <djs314djs314@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Magic120Cell Realized
Date: Mon, 05 May 2008 10:38:16 -0000

Hi Roice,

This is incredible! What you have done with the MagicCube5D
and Magic120Cell programs is truly amazing, and they are a great
gift to this community!

I agree with Melinda that the 120-cell is a unique polyhedron,
being the only higher-dimensional analog of the dodecahedron,
and now we have the only higher-dimensional analog of the
Megaminx!

Also, you have given us a great new permutation problem,
which figuring out surely would be impossible without this
program. I think I’m going to postpone my work on the
n^4 cube and start working on this right away!

As for my 3-cycle algorithm for the n^4 cube, I would be
happy to describe it for the group, if anyone is interested.
It’s just a commutator and I’m sure it could be improved upon,
as I have never used MagicCube4D before. I’ll start writing it
up.

Thank you Roice, for this wonderful and unique program!

Best Regards,

David

— In 4D_Cubing@yahoogroups.com, "Roice Nelson" <roice3@…> wrote:
>
> The 4D analog of Megaminx is here! This has been a work in
progress for
> some time really (the basics were done in 2006), but it is now
evolved
> enough for you crazy solvers to have at it! I like playing with
it and it
> will be fun to figure out sequences, but I’m not imagining I’ll
try a
> solution myself. I do hope some of you will take it on, and that
getting it
> out now is good timing with the summer break for students and
all. I’m
> really pleased with how it is turning out, and have screenshots at
the site
> to check out if you don’t feel like installing…
>
> www.gravitation3d.com/magic120cell/
>
> You’ll see that I made some easier (or should I say just slightly
less
> ludicrous) puzzles which are only different in that they have
multiple cells
> set to the same color. These accentuate some of the 120cell
symmetries and
> could be more enjoyable simply because there are not so many
colors to deal
> with. The biggest feat is of course the full puzzle with 120
different
> colored cells, but all of them are hard and I will post the name
of anyone
> who solves any of the puzzles in a Hall of Insanity.
>
> I admit straight away there are still features that would be nice
to have at
> some point, and I do have my own wish list. Though I make no
guarantees
> when or if I can add stuff, please feel free to make suggestions
or requests
> you would find valuable. Bug reports will also be appreciated.
>
> I hope you all really enjoy it. Good Luck!
>
> Roice
>
> P.S. This is what I alluded to this morning. I haven’t figured it
out
> exactly yet and may not be able to, but a quick estimate shows it
to have
> well over 10^15000 (that’s right, 10^15K) permutations!
>