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Date: Wed, 16 Oct 1996 08:54:11 -0500
To: cube-lovers@ai.mit.edu
From: Peter Beck <pbeck@pica.army.mil>
Subject: largest cube

HI folks,

I would like to revisit the question of
what is the largest (number of slices)
size cube that can be made.  As I
recollect the center spindle mechanism
has been analyzed and the conclusion
was a 5x5x5.

There is a new mechanism used in the
MOZAIKA puzzle (info below).  I wonder
if anybody has analyzed it to determine
what configurations of cubes it could
be used for.

PS  This mechanism also seems to answer
the question of whether or not the cube
is a sliding block puzzle on a spherical
surface or a solid rotating puzzle.


********************************
*  "MOZAIKA" is a spherical sliding block
*  puzzle like Rubik's cube with a new
*  mechanism.  I have only seen the 3x3x3
*  version.  It has 2 types of pieces
*  (the third, a sphere in the center appears to be
*  unnecessary):  a triangular piece analogous
*  to the cubes corner and a rectangular piece
*  analogous to the center piece , using 2 of
*  these to make an edge piece.  The puzzle
*  thus has 3 orthogonal equators made up of
*  the rectangular pieces and the corners.
*
*  These pieces interlock to form a spherical
*  surface - the center is hollow.  The interlock
*  method is that the corner pieces have a rail
*  that the rectangular pieces ride on.  The
*  corner pieces are held in space by the
*  rectangular pieces (sorry for poor description).
********************************
*  FROM:  J&R DESIGNS
*       1126 SOUTH STREET
*        POB 315
*        NILES, MICHIGAN 49120
*  COST:  US $15
*    + $3 POSTAGE USA OR $5 OVERSEAS
*
********************************

   THE FUTURE IS PUZZLING, but CUBING IS FOREVER !!!

Peter Beck,aka, Just Puzzles,  201-625-4191 answering machine

  a cube WEB site;2/27/96 - <http://admin.dis.on.ca:80/~cubeman/>
......................................................
my  career site - updated 5/31/96 <http://qa.pica.army.mil:80/~pbeck/>
......................................................
last modified  31 May 1996