The University of Arizona / MATHEMATICS

SWRIMS HIGH SCHOOL WORKSHOPS

Discovering the Rubik's Cube


What is mathematics, really? What lies beyond calculus and what is it good for? Does it really have any applications? This workshop is designed to explore the depth of such questions with an interesting yet often misunderstood example: the Rubik's Cube. Using a branch of mathematics known as group theory, it is possible to study the puzzle and actually construct a complete solution to solve the cube.

The workshop will begin with a study of symmetries and look at how symmetries act (and what exactly we mean by act!). This will provide a foundation to understanding how the Cube really works, and how we can take a mathematical approach to solving it. Time permitting, we will explore the efficiency of our algorithm, and how other mathematical concepts can help improve efficiency.


Workshops:

Resources:

Interesting webpages related to the cube:


Webpage: http://www.math.arizona.edu/~rims/workshops/rubikIndex.html.html
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