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 o ...

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

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. It consists of a bonded transparent

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or Semisynthesis, semisynthetic materials composed primarily of Polymer, polymers. Their defining characteristic, Plasticity (physics), plasticity, allows them to be Injection moulding ...

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 is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

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

* {{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 3D near-eye displays and pose tracking to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), educa ...

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 m ...

Combination puzzles Mechanical puzzles Soviet brands

See also

References

External links