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SOMA News 28 May 2000
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There are other Cube puzzles!

When looking for CUBE puzzles, The SOMA addicts will tell you long stories about SOMA. BUT SOMA is not the only cube puzzle, that has been invented throughout the years.
Isidor Bressler Email: sababa1@012.net.il the oldest SOMA player I know (85 Years) has investigated a series of cube puzzles.
This newsletter shows you a few of Isidor's discoveries both in solving these cubes, as well as some artistic figures using these other types of puzzles.


By the way, Isidor is very active in the puzzle world, and in Jan 2002 he also produced a nice set of puzzle and solution cards, to be used with the SOMA pieces.

Isidor This story is by Isidor Bresler:
Since 1980 a pensioned engineer in electromachine construction. Born in Warsaw 1915, lived in Russia 1939-1945, and back in Poland 1945-1957, and then in Israel from 1957.
Isidor writes:
My interest in Cubes started in 1995. And my first contact with computers was in 1995 - as I got one to my 80'th birthday...
Interesting - am I the oldest member of the "Cube Addicts"?
By the way, in my opinion, the main potential of "Cube users" may be found in the old people's home, prisons, hospitals etc.
It may be, that the 'Brain Gymnastics' - during the game - has a good influenze in braking or delaying the Alzheimer desease.
The conditions for using this potential, requires an active part from the younger people, as instructors during the start period.
Children and young people currently prefer computer games, and the implementation of cubes and puzzles in Kindergardens and schools is only possible through active initiatives by the guides and the teachers.

It may be that all these are not new to you, but it would please me to hear if my thoughts can be of use to other "Cube addicts".

<--- Isidor Bresler


3.01.1997 Design of symmetric puzzles using the "Symmetric Combination" Method

My puzzles conform to two guidelines:

1. The forms must be symmetric (i.e. there must exist a plane which divides the form into two mirror images).
2. The forms must be stable (i.e. a puzzle should be able to stand Without support).

Construction of puzzles by trial and error is slow, and turnout is relatively poor.
The method I have developed, is based on the possibility of combining symmetric forms to create a new, compound, symmetric puzzle.
In addition it turns out that a few of the pieces can be used to create "Mini-Puzzles" which are partial symmetric combinations, consisting of a subset of the pieces of one cube (usually two or three pieces).

Using combinations of the mini- puzzles, a large number of full size shapes, containing all pieces of a cube, can be easily created. It is possible to come up with many variations, of which the more "elegant" can be used to create complete puzzles.

At the moment I have 12 different types of 3x3x3 cubes in my posession

I have the pleasure also to present the solutions to the "Five pieces Coffin Cube" (Z)
According to Trevor Wood trevorwood@puzzles.force9.co.uk only one solution is possible, that is the reason it is so hard to find.


S = Soma
T = Steinhaus
F = Fisher
X = Half Hour Puzzle (Unknown inventor)

For these four cubes, we need 25 puzzle pieces, BUT in case we dont work with the puzzles simultaneously, then we only need 15 pieces

B = The 5 pieces Coffin Cube
C, D, Z = are cubes that appear among the extensive works of Coffin. 

(S)
 311   566   556 
 317   377   256 
 344   447   222 
(F)
 322   455   445 
 362   332   145 
 666   312   111 
(T)
 331   311   221 
 544   322   621 
 554   354   666 
(X)
 144   245   222 
 134   115   625 
 133   335   666 
(B)
 332   444   411 
 322   314   514 
 322   555   515 
(C)
 411   213   113 
 444   223   122 
 434   433   112 
(D)
 446   546   446 
 336   556   226 
 336   555   211 
(Z)
 553   522   552 
 453   413   442 
 433   111   142 
(A)
 722   823   993 
 771   884   963 
 511   554   664 
(E)
 533   522   922 
 533   581   661 
 447   441   661 
(H)
 716   724   755 
 116   224   554 
 166   233   334 
(I)
 344   334   534 
 224   316   556 
 266   216   511

Some months ago I found some wonderfull plastic cubes 20x20x20 mm at a shop, They are delivered in 10 colours
These cubes can be obtained from many sources, Among wich are:
Israel Palda Ltd. 8 Rakefet St. Hagor. POBox 3496, code 45870, Keriat Aria.
dudact@netvision.net.il

Each cube has 5 openings and one connection bud So that the making or demounting of the cubelets only take a few minutes.
For each puzzle piece I have removed the connection bud from one of the cubelets, this ensures a fine stability.

8.03.1997 I decided to exploit the possibility of building a multitude of different forms from the puzzle pieces.

My innovations/extensions/improvements can be as follows:

  • Assignment of color codes and code numbers to pieces. Each piece is assigned a different color and number (see figures above )
  • Presentations of the puzzles in three levels of difficulty:

    Level 1. Drawings in isometric perspective with colors of the pieces shown in accordance with the color-code (instead of the hints or solutions by exploded view).

    Level 2. Top and either a front or side view with colors shown.

    Leve 3. Isometric perspective drawing, with no colors

    Remarks:

  • I believe that the presentation in level 1 is far superior to "exploded views".
  • Level 2, which involves construction of the puzzles from two views, exercises three-dimensional visualization.
    In addition to being a useful mental exercise in its own right, it can be considered good preparation for interpreting technical machine drawings.
  • Levels 1 and 2 can also be combined as a simpler variation.

    The multi-level game.

    Level 1. One of the possibilities is a multi-level game, beginning with the easier stage, and becoming increasingly harder with each level.

    Level 1: Puzzles assembled from the five pieces of the Coffin (Z) Cube
    It is suggested to begin the game with level 1, which are generally easy, and can be solved by 7-8 year old children (althougt some puzzles are more difficult, because not all the pieces can be seen in the perspective drawing).

    It is best to repeat the solution until it is memorized. before going on the next level.

    Level 2. Older children and grown ups can then move on to the second levels of difficulty, assembling the pieces acc. to the colored front or side and top projections.

    This level requires more activity of the spatial memory and visualization.

    Level 2: Puzzles assembled from the five pieces of the Coffin (Z) Cube
    The puzzles shown from the Z-cube pieces are only an example, and it is possible to build a lot of puzzles from almost all the forms of 3x3x3 cubes. The SOMA (S) will undoubtedly break all records.

    Level 3. The third hardest level contains the uncolored perspective drawings.
    Whoever has difficulty, can try first solving the same puzzle using the drawings from level 1, 2 or both levels at the same time, and only attempting the level 3 puzzles.

    Level 3: Puzzles assembled from the five pieces of the Coffin (Z) Cube For extra challenge, it is suggested to start immediately at level 3,
    Additionally try to develop new shapes (puzzles ).

    1.05.2000
    The numeric presentation of SOMA (and others) "Puzzles" by Thorleif Bundgaard. (Described here)
    The large benefit of the presentation is, that it covers all elements of the Cube or Puzzle.

    In spite of these benefits, is it not easy (especially for untrained people) to put together a puzzle according to the Numeric presentation... I have finally developed a simpler method, that significantly eases the procedure:

    1. In addition to the 7 original Soma pieces, I have prepared cubes with colors and code numbers on all 6 sides, these are then combined exactly as the original pieces.

    2. Now the puzzle can easily be assembled according to the Numeric presentation, (each level independantly) starting by the lower level. And continuing with the next levels.

    3. Then build the puzzle with the original pieces, identical to the numbered, or carefully exchange the numbered pieces with the original ones.

    4. Then draw the isometric presentation of the puzzle on a sheet of paper.

    Also the reverse task of Numerical presentation of a new puzzle is easy.

    After having build a puzzle using the numerical pieces, You note the numbered layers level by level, exactly according to the Bundgaard method.
    After having written one level. Remove the pieces, to continue with the next level.

    I have tested the method with succes.

    Isidor Bresler.

    Acknowledgement
    I am indebted to Mr. Thorleif Bundgaard who not only offered to host me in his website, but also invested a lot of work in adapting the material I have sent him. Moreover, he contributed to enlarge the list of the 3x3x3 cubes that I added to the range of my activities. I owe him also my introduction to the website of "Johan Myrberger's List of 3x3x3 cube puzzles", from which I borrowed a few interesting cubes.
    Thanks to Thorleif, I managed also to get in touch with Mr. Trewor from UK, who supplied me with a solution for a 5-piece cube (with which I struggled without success for many a day...)
    I found this cube in the rich work of Coffin published in the internet.
    My thanks to all of these "cube masters"!
    Isidor Bresler.

    News from Isidor, Feb 2003

    Regarding the Designer of the Livecube-3
    Design and Copyright: Min S.Shih & Guan S. Shih (2003)
    Checkout the SUPER homepage at
    www.livecube.com
    Mail to Min Shih at minshih@livecube.com.


    Subject: The solution of the 4x4x4 cube.



    1) First I built the 8 pieces from single colored Cubelets (See : http://www.fam-bundgaard.dk/SOMA/NEWS/N000528.HTM , page 3-4. The assembly of the cube-figure was extremely difficult, but had understood that the pieces are interlocking, and you must assemble them in a fixed sequence.

    2) I have then decided, to choose a color for each building piece. I combined 8 cubelets for each piece, using the same color. Among these one Cubelet is without 'finger'.

    Now I layed out the layers, starting from the bottom ,with the colored Cubelets, and at the end I "automatically" came to the 4x4x4 Cube!

    During the (Carefull) demounting, I then learnd the right sequence of the montage. ( The method for SOME is described in the above mentioned text- page 6)

    I admire the highly elegant "discovery" of the 4x4x4 Cube. It has brought me a couble of hours of pleasant headsqueezing...
    Solution: 
         ABBB | ABEE | AAGE | GGGE
     ACEB | BBED | FAGG | GAHE
     DCEH | BCDD | FFHG | CAHF
     DDDH | CCDH | CFHH | CFFF



    This is another way to show the assembly, or 4 modules.

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