The 3x3 Permutation

Oh my god! You're just one step away from solving the cube!
This step requires you to solve all the pieces of the top layer... Its called: PLL (Permutate Last Layer).
Don't worry, this step's not going to take very long, unless you messed up big time...
For this step, you will need to learn 3 algorithms: The U Permutation, U' Permutation and the A Permuation.

A Perm

What the A perm does is that it switches the corner pieces.
Once you're starting to learn each permutation, you'll see how it works and what it does...
For now, look around the top face and find 2 matching corners...



Right here, I have 2 blue corners that are matched...
(Assuming nothing else isn't, if so, look at U Permutation section.")

What you do is match it with its relative center - the blue center for me.
Then you hold it with that face away from you and perform this algorithm (the A): R', F, R', B2, R, F', R', B2, R2 .

If you did it right, all corners should matched up in pairs.

Also, if you don't have matching pairs at all, just perform this algorithm to get one.

Back to top.

U/U' Perm

The last step...
After all the corners are solved, you might also have a face solved...
To solve the rest of the middle pieces, you turn the solved face away from you and do the U perms...



You can see, my red middle piece wants to the red face, which is on the left side...
To solve, you perform the U permutation: F2, U', L, R', F2, L', R, U, F2.



Or, if the middle piece wants to go to the right face, you perform the U' permutation: F2, U, L, R', F2, L', R, U, F2.
Notice the difference of U perm and U' perm, not very much - so you can memorize both easily.

However, if you don't get a solved face, just perform either U or U' to get it.


Wow, you've actually sat through all this blabber, but hey! At least you've solved your cube. Congratulations!
Feel free to recommend this to others and just keep practice cubing until you're fluent and can solve it any time.
If you want, you can explore deeper in algorithms to speed solve your cube and get really fast times, I recommend Dan's Cube Station.

If there's anything you find that was incorrect, feel free to email me at: pdf_oblivious@hotmail.com.
You could also ask me in person (or ask me to teach you, or clear something you didn't understand) at school, I'm usually hanging out at Mr. Johnson's room at lunch.
Thanks for reading, and congratulations on your first cube solve!

My records 20-ish seconds - good luck beating it. ;)

-Vin Back to top.

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