Task:

Part 1:  Create a new thread and write a paragraph or two on a topic about which you have specialized knowledge, and can use specialized terminology to explain the idea or instruct the reader. For example, you might write about effective techniques for executing certain skateboard maneuvers or how to execute a yoga position such as a “downward facing dog.” Try to baffle your audience through jargon–they will have to guess what you are trying to write about. Make it tough for us to guess!

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It takes both turning speed, memorization, as well as optimization to reach the sub-10; let alone sub-5. However, all solvers must first solve a cube with the Beginner Method. The Beginner Method is a way of solving the Rubik’s cube layer by layer, which consists of Cross, First Layer, Second Layer, Orientation, and finally Permutation to complete the cube entirely. Instead of discussing how to do the beginner method here as there are hundreds of other resources that tell you the exact same thing, I will show a semi speed run method that is mixed with the beginner method. 

• First take a cube, and make sure it’s scrambled to your heart’s content. It would be pointless to solve a solved cube, that would be like watering flowers during a flood! The next step would be to decide on what face piece to solve first, almost all websites that teach the Beginner Method use white as the face piece. After deciding on white being the face piece, begin by turning the cube to create a cross on white. Make sure that each edge piece corresponds to the according face piece. The edge pieces are the ones with two stickers/colors. After assembling the cross on white, insert the corner pieces into the according slots that also correspond to each face piece. This will complete the first layer and mark the end of the second step into solving the cube.
• The second layer is a bit trickier as the first two steps are usually done intuitively. The second step incorporates two algorithms, U R U’ R’ U’F’ U F, and U’ L’ U L U F U’ F’, to move the edge piece above the center piece to the right or left edge(respectively) of the second layer. Notice how the two algorithms are very similar besides which U turn to do and replacing R moves with L. The goal is to fill the second layer into their correct spots.
• After the second layer is complete, the last layer is broken up into two steps, orientating the last layer– making the corner and edge pieces that match the face piece of the last layer(in our case yellow since we are using white as the cross face piece) face upwards. It takes two steps to orientate the last layer, making a cross, and then turning the corner pieces to make them also correct. To orientate the last layer, first make a cross on the last layer using certain algorithms when faced with certain scenarios. If the pattern for the yellow pieces make a line, keep the line horizontal and perform this algorithm, F R U R’ U’ F’. If the pattern is an small 3 piece letter L, align the L so that it looks like the cross missing the bottom and right part. When that is complete, perform the algorithm F U R U’ R’ F. Once that is complete, you will have a cross on the last layer. If you encounter the special dot pattern scenario, then just do one of the two line or L algorithm and that will make a pattern for you to solve with the two algorithms. Once the cross is made, there are more patterns pertaining to the cross based on how many corner pieces are orientated correctly, each scenario will have algorithms to solve them quickly.
• Once orientation is complete, your cube will look basically complete aside from the last layer’s edge and corner pieces being in the wrong places. That is why permutation is the last step. This guide will not go in depth into all the algorithms needed to permutate the last layer as they will take too long, but it is essentially like orientation as they both involve two steps, first moving the edge pieces to the correct position, and then moving the corner pieces.

Once the steps above are completed correctly, the cube will be solved. There are definitely many improvements that can help solve times. By solving the cross at the bottom, hand grip readjustments are less frequent, and thus faster. It also speeds up look ahead and allows for a more fluent transition into F2L, First 2 Layers. First 2 layers intends to both do second layer along with the corner pieces for the cross at the bottom by pairing the two up before inserting them into the correct spot. This in turn eliminates a step from the beginner method and speeds up solve times. Once F2L is mastered, the last layer comes down to memorizing all 57 orientation algorithms, and then 21 permutation algorithms. Master all of them, and turn the cube insanely fast, and you can be as fast as Feliks Zemdegs and his 4.22 second world record on May 8th 2018!

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Part 2: In a reply to your original thread, rewrite the paragraph (or two) so that a general audience (someone with zero expertise in your topic) can understand it. Were any of the guesses right? What did you have to change so that your audience could better understand you?

How to solve a 3×3 multi colored cube, called the Rubik’s Cube. We use a method called the Beginner’s method. Instead of solving the cube face by face, which is impossible, we solve it layer by layer. We start the first step of the beginners method by learning the notations for algorithms, because we use algorithms to perform switches. A switch involves changing two or more pieces of the Rubik’s cube’s position without changing any other piece. This is important to keep the solved parts solved! Each movement can be broken down into letters, L for left, R for right, F for the front face and D for down. For a notation L, you turn the left layer of the cube clockwise. If there is a prime, or ‘, attached to a notation, that means turn it counterclockwise instead!

After learning the notations, we start by making a cross, or plus shape on a side of the cube. We make sure the cross not only is the correct color for the side we decide to make the cross at, but also make sure the other side of that edge piece matches the according side color as well. If the side you chose to make the cross on was white, then on the blue face side, the edge piece of the cross should be white, then blue. This is done intuitively, meaning there are no algorithms.

The difference between intuitive and non-intuitive, is that intuitive steps can be sped up when you recognize patterns, while non-intuitive steps are solely based on how fast you turn the cube. This is important to differentiate when you want to become faster while solving the cube.

We finish the first layer by putting the corner pieces, the pieces of the cube that have 3 colors with them, onto their correct side, so the white-green-orange piece should go there with the white facing the white side. green facing the green side, and orange facing the orange side. This is repeated for the remaining 3 corners.

After your first layer is complete, the second layer is non-intuitive. You require an algorithm to move the middle top piece of a side to the correct edge.

XOX

OBO      <—- We put the solved first layer at the bottom, and assuming we are facing the blue side, the middle top layer piece, shown as an O, will get moved either to the left or right O.

BBB

To move the top middle O either left or right, use the algorithm U’ L’ U L U F U’ F’ for left, and  U R U’ R’ U’F’ U F for right.

We repeat this step until the second layer is complete. If an edge piece is in the correct spot but flipped, we have to take it out using the algorithm, and re-insert it to its correct spot.

The last layer is also non-intuitive, and consists of two steps that require another two steps to complete. We first make the last layer’s face all correct:

BYG

YYR <— what the top layer will look like, assuming white is the first layer side( B=blue, Y=yellow, G=green, R=red, O=orange)

RBO

We want to make it look like this

YYY

YYY

YYY

Regardless of what the last layer will look like, meaning the top will look like that, but from the side view it can look like this

RGR

BBB

BBB

To do this step, we first make a cross on top:

If the pattern for the yellow pieces make a line, keep the line horizontal and perform this algorithm, F R U R’ U’ F’. If the pattern is an small 3 piece letter L, align the L so that it looks like the cross missing the bottom and right part. When that is complete, perform the algorithm F U R U’ R’ F. Once that is complete, you will have a cross on the last layer. If you encounter the special dot pattern scenario, then just do one of the two line or L algorithm and that will make a pattern for you to solve with the two algorithms.

After you create your cross, you use algorithms based on the amount of corner pieces that are correctly orientated, and move onto permutating.

On the figure above, we can see the side view of an example of a completed orientation step cube. We have to now make them all correctly corresponding to their side, so the cube will look complete like this:

BBB

BBB

BBB

To do this, we need algorithms that move edge pieces and corner pieces without disturbing the other pieces that are correct. Overall the process in solving a Rubik’s cube is a lot of memory to use for remembering algorithms, as well as visual aid to help understand. I hope my guide is sufficient enough to start any of you guys to solving your own rubiks cube!