The Rubik's cube is still the worlds best selling toy and puzzle having sold over 350 million units since it was released for sale to market. The underlying concepts of the 3x3 Rubik's cube is the design basis for all speed cubes you see today and the evolution of solving the cube with various methods since its invention has ultimately allowed for the creation of 'speedcubing' as an actual competitive activity.
The iconic cube was invented by the Hungarian sculptor and professor of Architecture - Erno Rubik - in 1974 to provide the structural problem of moving the cubes parts independently without the entire mechanism falling apart.
The goal is to move pieces so that all nine squares on each of the 6 faces (sides) are the same color, effectively solving the puzzle.
Pieces: The cube has 26 smaller cubelets:
- 8 Corner Pieces: These pieces have three visible faces.
- 12 Edge Pieces: These pieces have two visible faces.
- 6 Center Pieces: Each of these pieces has only one visible face and is fixed in position relative to the cube's mechanism.
Speedcubing: The 3x3 cube is the primary event in speedcubing competitions, where solvers compete to achieve the fastest solving times. Records are continually being broken, showcasing the skill and precision involved in solving the cube quickly.
