Thread: "Melinda solves the cube"

From: Melinda Green <melinda@superliminal.com>
Date: Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:31:33 -0800
Subject: Melinda solves the cube



I have a particularly fun announcement to make tonight which is that I
have finally solved the 4D cube. It might surprise many of you that I
had never before solved this puzzle that I'd helped to write but it's
true. It's been over 20 years since Don Hatch and I wrote the first
working version so it's been something of an embarrassment to me to have
never actually solved it. Well, with the number of solvers fast
approaching 100 I decided to give up my hopes of solving it entirely on
my own and learn Roice's solution. Even with the heavy use of macros it
still took me five nights and 1844 twists to achieve. Even with all the
tools it was difficult and sometimes frightening for me. I'm very happy
to have finally checked off one of the important things that I had
wanted to achieve before I die. I also come away with ideas for a few
improvements that I want to make to the program. Thanks to all of you
for all of your encouragement and great ideas. This program is one of my
proudest accomplishments and my solution is the icing on the cake. I've
uploaded that solution a snapshot of the final screen to the Yahoo site
in case anyone's curious. Your suggestions for how to improve my
solution method are most definitely *not* welcome as I have no desire to
try for a shortest record or to tackle the larger puzzles! :-)
Actually I know that subsequent solutions will be much easier now so I
wouldn't rule that out but if you ever catch me trying to solve the 120
cell or 5D puzzles, please just shoot me!

Thanks again for all your support and for letting me brag about my
personal accomplishment.
-melinda




From: "Alexander Goldberg" <ajgold04@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2009 01:51:48 -0600
Subject: Re: [MC4D] Melinda solves the cube



Wonderful!!
I've been waiting for this.




From: "Alexander Goldberg" <ajgold04@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 09 Jan 2009 06:53:22 -0500
Subject: Re: [MC4D] Melinda solves the cube



Melinda Green wrote:

> I have a particularly fun announcement to make tonight which is that
> I have finally solved the 4D cube. It might surprise many of you
> that I had never before solved this puzzle that I'd helped to write
> but it's true. It's been over 20 years since Don Hatch and I wrote
> the first working version so it's been something of an embarrassment
> to me to have never actually solved it. . . . I'm very happy to have
> finally checked off one of the important things that I had wanted to
> achieve before I die. . . .

Congratulations! Of course, whether you had ever solved it or not, we
are all forever in debt for your significant role in making this
possible. :-)

--Jay




From: "markoram109" <markoram109@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:09:05 -0000
Subject: Re: Melinda solves the cube



Wonderful news Melinda. Many congratulations, and I trust you will=20
enjoy your bragging rights to the full :)

Also, to echo Jay, thank-you for everything you have done to make=20
this group exist in the form it does, and for all your efforts to=20
create (and now solve!) these amazing objects.



--- In 4D_Cubing@yahoogroups.com, Melinda Green wrote:
>
> I have a particularly fun announcement to make tonight which is=20
that I=20
> have finally solved the 4D cube. It might surprise many of you=20
that I=20
> had never before solved this puzzle that I'd helped to write but=20
it's=20
> true. It's been over 20 years since Don Hatch and I wrote the=20
first=20
> working version so it's been something of an embarrassment to me=20
to have=20
> never actually solved it. Well, with the number of solvers fast=20
> approaching 100 I decided to give up my hopes of solving it=20
entirely on=20
> my own and learn Roice's solution. Even with the heavy use of=20
macros it=20
> still took me five nights and 1844 twists to achieve. Even with=20
all the=20
> tools it was difficult and sometimes frightening for me. I'm very=20
happy=20
> to have finally checked off one of the important things that I had=20
> wanted to achieve before I die. I also come away with ideas for a=20
few=20
> improvements that I want to make to the program. Thanks to all of=20
you=20
> for all of your encouragement and great ideas. This program is one=20
of my=20
> proudest accomplishments and my solution is the icing on the cake.=20
I've=20
> uploaded that solution a snapshot of the final screen to the Yahoo=20
site=20
> in case anyone's curious. Your suggestions for how to improve my=20
> solution method are most definitely *not* welcome as I have no=20
desire to=20
> try for a shortest record or to tackle the larger puzzles! :-)=20=20=20
> Actually I know that subsequent solutions will be much easier now=20
so I=20
> wouldn't rule that out but if you ever catch me trying to solve=20
the 120=20
> cell or 5D puzzles, please just shoot me!
>=20
> Thanks again for all your support and for letting me brag about my=20
> personal accomplishment.
> -melinda
>





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