The Minus Cube (aka BLOXBOX by Piet Hein; aka Varikon Box) is a 3D

mechanical Mechanical may refer to: Machine * Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement * Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations of ...

variant of the ''n''-puzzle, which was manufactured in the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

. It consists of a bonded transparent

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...

box containing seven small cubes, each glued together from two U-shape parts: one white and one coloured. The length of one side of the interior of the box is slightly more than twice the length of the side of a small cube. There is an empty space for one small cube inside the box, and the small cubes are moveable inside the box by tilting the box, causing a cube to fall into the space. The goal of the puzzle is to shuffle the cubes in such a way that on each side of the box, all of the faces of the small cubes have the same color. There were two types of Minus Cubes manufactured: the so-called "

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

Minus Cube" (red–white) and " Sverdlovsk Minus Cube" (blue–white), each named after the cities in which they were produced. They differed only in the orientation of one of the small cubes. Because of this difference, there are 12 times as many "solved" arrangements for the Moscow Minus Cube, and thus the Sverdlovsk Minus Cube is 12 times as difficult to solve. However, if one does not confine oneself to these two types of the Minus Cube, there are 48 Minus Cube variants that can be solved.

References

An article on the Minus Cube
in Kvant magazine 1988, № 6, p. 66.
arXiv.org > math > arXiv:2006.01296 Algebraic Structure of the Varikon Box Jason d'Eon, Chrystopher L. Nehaniv

External links

Minus Cube Puzzle
at TwistyPuzzles.com
A photo of Sverdlovsk Minus Cube Puzzle
* {{cite web , url=http://www.jaapsch.net/puzzles/varikon2.htm , title=Varikon Box 2×2×2 / The Minus Cube , publisher=Jaap , accessdate=2016-01-13
^MinusCube
open-source

virtual-reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), ed ...

implementation of the Minus Cube in

Rec Room A recreation room (also known as a rec room, rumpus room, play room, playroom, games room, or ruckus room) is a room used for a variety of purposes, such as parties, games and other everyday or casual activities. The term ''recreation room'' is c ...

The new design for the Minus Cube by Fidget IQ Combination puzzles Mechanical puzzles Soviet brands

See also

References

External links