Progress of a Cube Solver

(Data Management Culminating)

Zhivko Dimitrov

Correlation Coefficient

Analyzing the drop-off points in the data:

3x3

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The first major drop-off in 3x3 times occurred after the 10th solve. This is due to a several month gap between the previous solves and the solves that came after. During this gap, I had learned some slightly more advanced sets of cube-solving algorithms such as F2L, 2-Look OLL, and 1-Look PLL; the specifics of each algorithm set are not that relevant to this report, but they drastically improved my solving times.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The second major drop-off in 3x3 times occurred between the 29th and 30th solves, which were separated by a two-year gap thanks to the pandemic. During this time, I had begun learning more advanced solving algorithms such as the 1-Look OLL set, as well as improving my execution of other algorithms. Additionally, I also achieved full colour neutrality, which is the ability to begin solving a cube from any side of your choosing, instead of having to begin from the same side every time.

2x2

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The first major drop-off in 2x2 times occurred within the same several month gap as the first major drop-off in 3x3 times. My times here improved thanks to the same 2-Look OLL algorithm set that I learned for 3x3.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The second major drop-off in 2x2 solving times occurred between the 21st and 22nd solves. In the interval between those, I had learned an entirely new solving method specifically for 2x2, known as the Ortega method which allowed for much more efficiency in solving.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The third major drop-off in 2x2 times occurred at the same time as the second 3x3 one, after the pandemic. I did not learn many new things for 2x2 during the pandemic, so the drop-off there is primarily caused by full colour neutrality much like with 3x3.

Extrapolation

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Assuming that the current trends will continue, we can extrapolate that by the 100th official solve, the time for 2x2 will not improve by much, but there will be a definite improvement in 3x3 solving times.