Message #565

From: David Smith <djs314djs314@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [MC4D] Thibaut Kirchner
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:32:40 -0700

Hi Thibaut,
 
Welcome to the 4D_Cubing group!  Congratulations on solving the 3^4 cube!
I also do speedcubing, but my times are probably not close to yours - I average
around a minute.
 
Regarding Magic120Cell and the number of positions, finding algorithms is not
my area of expertise.  I used to be more interested in verifying that the upper
bound is exact, but now I am content with just finding the upper bound, being
confident that it is almost certainly the exact number (because the mathematics
indicates that it is, and there has never been a permutation puzzle in which
the mathematically justified upper bound was not exact).  Roice Nelson, who
also posts on this group, told me that he has found the permutation algorithms
required, but I am not sure if anyone has discovered any orientation ones.
 
Also, thank you very much for your insights on the problem I may attempt to
work on.  I may not work on it for some time though, because I am working on
a number of other problems leading up to the upper bound for the number of
positions of an n^d Rubik’s Cube, and its super and super-super variants, which
I am planning to write a short book about.

I am glad that you have decided to join this group, and although I am a relatively
new member, wanted to welcome you here.  Once again congrats for solving
the 3^4 cube (this is something I still have to try), and good luck with your
aspirations for solving the larger cubes and Magic120Cell.
 
All the Best,
David

— On Tue, 9/16/08, thibaut.kirchner <thibaut.kirchner@yahoo.fr> wrote:

From: thibaut.kirchner <thibaut.kirchner@yahoo.fr>
Subject: [MC4D] Thibaut Kirchner
To: 4D_Cubing@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 7:17 PM


Hello to all of you.
I’m Thibaut Kirchner, nearly 21 years old, and live near Paris, France.
I’m student in maths and computer science (fifth year after in
superior). Since a few days, I’m the 84th person having solved a 3^4
hypercube (actually, I’ve solved two of them).

I’m interested in solving puzzles which look like the traditional 3^3
cube since March, when a friend of mine taught me to solve the 3^3 and
the Pyraminx (at the French Open 2008).
Then I found how to solve the Megaminx, and then the 4^3 and 5^3 cubes
(parity errors were the more difficult).
I’ve been to some WCA competitions, but, if I like solving faster and
faster the same puzzles, what I really enjoy is to find methods and
algorithms to solve new puzzles. When I discovered Gelatinbrain
(http://users. skynet.be/ gelatinbrain/ Applets/Magic% 20Polyhedra/) and
rediscovered the 3^4 hypercube (another friend of mine, Ilia Smilga,
solved it a few years ago, and I had heard of it), I decided to solve
as much puzzles from there as possible.

Now, I’m working at solving the 4^4 Hypercube and the Magic 120-Cell.
I believe I have a complete method to do them, the only thing I need
to complete the solution is some time, since it takes me a few minutes
to find some piece in this maelstrom of colors.
I expect to come with a full solution of the 4^4 in a few months, and
as for the Magic 120-Cell… It won’t be sooner than in a few years,
since it is really an enormous puzzle.

I’m looking forward to speaking about methods to solve the 3^4
hypercube, but before, I have some questions:

Thibaut.

PS: Thank you for your invitation here.