Standard Format For Tweeting A Solution
Here is how you can use Twitter to tweet out a solution:
@YourNameHere #zobristcube code=cfmrtu solution=tttrftuffrrcrmcuufcccmmmumf type=CLASSIC age=14 time=23min This one is tricky!
@YourNameHere refers to your username and #zobristcube will be the standard hashtag for all communications related to the game, especially for solutions. Twitter will automatically compile all of these tweets into its database, allowing us to analyze the game and how people respond to it. We request that computer programmers do not flood the twittersphere with millions of solutions, as that would hinder analysis.
The particular format for the rest of the tweet is distinguished by the following phrases:
1) “code=” indicates the code of the specific puzzle; either from the book or online
2) “solution=” describes the solution that you found for said puzzle. For more on the proper format for writing solutions, either see below or click here
3) “type=” specifies which type of puzzle the code is: CLASSIC, CLASSIC II, MAX5, EASY SET I, EASY SET II, 3x3x4, or 4x4x4
4) “age=” and “time=” refer to your age and the time it took you to solve the puzzle. While this information helps us with data analysis, it is optional
5) Lastly, feel free to add any comments or tips regarding the puzzle!
How To Read A Tweeted Solution
Each solution for the standard 3x3x3 case will be 27 letters long:
solution=tttrftuffrrcrmcuufcccmmmumf
These 27 letters can be broken into groups three groups of 9 letters, with the first 9 representing the top row, the next 9 representing the middle row, and the last 9 representing the bottom row:
t t t r f t u f f
r r c r m c u u f
c c c m m m u m f
Although it is a bit difficult to see at first, this represents the solution for the three-dimensional puzzle laid out in a two-dimensional manner. The three 3×3 groups of letters from left to right represent the bottom, middle, and top layers of the cube:
t t t r f t u f f
r r c r m c u u f
c c c m m m u m f
Note that this is based on a three-dimensional, right-handed, Cartesian coordinate system
For the 3x3x4 case, the procedure is the same as above except the solution string is made up of 36 letters instead of 27, and is broken into three groups of 12 letters for each row instead of 9. Click here for more on the canonical position of pieces in the 3x3x4 case.
How to write a solution for a tweet
Writing out a solution is much more difficult than reading one. First of all, it is important to avoid confusion over the many ways to rotate a cube. There are 6 faces of the cube that can be oriented downwards on the bottom and each of those positions can be rotated about the vertical axis 4 different ways, generating a total of 24 different rotations for the same solution. We will disambiguate this by requiring that the first piece alphabetically be put into its special canonical rotation. The “A” piece, for example, can be rotated 24 different ways, but only one of those rotations represents the solution’s canonical position.
You, the player, can take your solution, look at the first alphabetically lettered piece, and rotate the cube until it is in the canonical position. For the standard definition of the canonical position of pieces, click here.
You then reverse the steps for reading a twitter solution, as described in the section above. You may want to use either a piece of paper or a text editor to help you write down the arrangement of letters and collapse it to form your solution.
Don’t forget to include the original code for the puzzle you solved!