Mullholand J Permutation Puzzles A Mathematical Perspective 2019

Textbook in PDF format

Rubik’s cube is probably one of the most well known puzzles to date. Created by Erno Rubik in 1974, it is estimated that by 2009 over 350 millions have been sold. What has made it so popular is not certain. Perhaps it looks seemingly innocent, then once a few sides have been twisted, and the colours begin to mix, the path back home is not so easy to see. The more you twist it the further you seem to be taken away from the solution. Perhaps it is that the number of ways to mix up the cube seems endless. Or perhaps to others, it doesn’t seem endless at all. Despite the reasons for its appeal, it has become one of the most popular puzzles in history. It is rare to find a puzzle, or toy, that has captured the imagination of millions, is accessible to all age levels, is challenging, yet satisfying, and is so mathematically rich. The Rubik’s cube is one such puzzle. Others examples include the 15-puzzle, TopSpin (Oval Track), and Hungarian Rings.
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Foundations.
Permutations.
Group Theory.
Rubiks’ Cube.
Symmetry & Counting.
Light’s Out.
Appendix.
Bibliography.
Index