Professor's Cube: Difference between revisions

The Professor's Cube was invented by Udo Krell in 1981. Out of the many designs that were proposed, Udo Krell's design was the first 5×5×5 design that was manufactured and sold. [[Uwe Mèffert]] manufactured the cube and sold it in [[Hong Kong]] in 1983.

 

 

The early versions of the 5×5×5 cube sold at [[Barnes & Noble]] were marketed under the name "Professor's Cube" but currently, Barnes and Noble sells cubes that are simply called "5×5 Cube." Mefferts.com used to sell a limited edition version of the 5×5×5 cube called the Professor's Cube. This version had colored tiles rather than stickers.<ref>[http://www.mefferts.com/products/details.php?lang=en&category=13&id=238 Meffert's Professor's Cube]</ref> Verdes Innovations sells a version called the V-Cube 5.<ref>[http://www.v-cubes.com/prod_info/v-cube5.php Verdes' Innovations V-Cube 5 page] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327224620/http://www.v-cubes.com/prod_info/v-cube5.php |date=2010-03-27 }}</ref>

The full number is precisely 282 870 942 277 741 856 536 180 333 107 150 328 293 127 731 985 672 134 721 536 000 000 000 000 000 possible permutations<ref name="Cubic Circular">[http://www.jaapsch.net/puzzles/cubic3.htm#p18 Cubic Circular Issues 3 & 4] [[David Singmaster]], 1982</ref> (about 283 duodecillion on the [[names of large numbers|long scale]] or 283 trevigintillion on the short scale).

 

 

==Solutions==

Speedcubers usually favor the '''Reduction method''' which groups the centers into one-colored blocks and grouping similar edge pieces into solid strips. This allows the cube to be quickly solved with the same methods one would use for a 3×3×3 cube, just a stretched out version. As illustrated to the right, the fixed centers, middle edges and corners can be treated as equivalent to a 3×3×3 cube. As a result, once reduction is complete the parity errors sometimes seen on the 4×4×4 cannot occur on the 5×5×5, or any cube with an odd number of edges for that matter.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Reduction Method - Speedsolving.com Wiki|url=https://www.speedsolving.com/wiki/index.php/Reduction_Method|website=www.speedsolving.com|access-date=2020-05-21}}</ref>

 

 

Another frequently used strategy is to solve the edges and corners of the cube first, and the centers last. This method is referred to as the Cage method, so called because the centers appear to be in a cage after the solving of edges and corners. The corners can be placed just as they are in any previous order of cube puzzle, and the centers are manipulated with an algorithm similar to the one used in the 4×4×4 cube.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cage Method - Speedsolving.com Wiki|url=https://www.speedsolving.com/wiki/index.php/Cage_Method|website=www.speedsolving.com|access-date=2020-05-21}}</ref>

 

 

 

==World records==

 

 

 

=== Top 5 solvers by single solve<ref>[[World Cube Association]] [https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/events.php?eventId=555&regionId=&years=&show=100%2BPersons&single=Single Official 5x5x5 Ranking Single]</ref>===

! Name !! Fastest solve !! Competition

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! Name !! Fastest average !! Competition !! Times

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| {{flagicon|SWI}} Ezra Hirschi || 2:45.73s || {{flagicon|GRB}} Sheffield Spring - BBO 2023

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| {{flagicon|CHN}} Kaijun Lin (林恺俊) || 2:49.17 || {{flagicon|MYS}} Selangor Cube Open 2019 || 2:59.09, 2:39.12, 2:49.30

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==In popular culture==

*In the movie ''[[Line Walker 2: Invisible Spy]]'', two children are shown solving the 5×5×5 cube. They compete to solve multiple cubes consecutively, blindfolded, known as "5×5×5 multi-blind" by speedcubers.