I was wondering... Could it be possible to calculate the entropy change while rearranging a Rubik's cube from a given arbitrary arrangement?
I tried with 3*3*3=27 microstates...but achieved a pretty failure. It seems complicated.
Asked
Active
Viewed 219 times
1
-
Probably related: http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/160585/is-there-a-thermodynamic-limit-on-how-efficiently-you-can-solve-a-rubiks-cube and this math.se post – Kyle Kanos Feb 10 '16 at 16:56
-
1(1) You're going to have to step back for a moment and think about how well defined what you're talking about is. What does entropy mean here? Can you formalize your notions of disorder? I suspect you're thinking of varying degrees of disorder, which is something that may well be lost in a naive analysis. (2) Why $3^3$ states? Try writing out a list of 27 configurations. If you get to 27, I bet you can go beyond that. – Feb 10 '16 at 17:25
-
Note also that each edge has 2 orientations and each corner has 3. The center pieces formally don't move. So it seems you are under counting the possible permutations (and if the numbers I've seen are right, you have missed about 43 quintillion permutations (counting only solvable positions)) – Kyle Kanos Feb 10 '16 at 17:27