I read on Jessica Fridrich's site that when solving a cube she visualizes cube twists rather than recalling algorithm notations. This is very similar to how I have memorized the algorithms. I picture movements over symbols. If you asked me to write down the algs I know I wouldn't be able to write them immedietly, I'd have to think about it first.

My friend on the other hand is the opposite. He can write the alg notations at the drop of a hat because that's how he memorized them.

I was curious how others recall their algs. Do you see images or the actual notations? Or have you been cubing long enough that it's now become muscle reflex..?

I transfer it from written notation to visualisation to muscle memory.

I basically remember them by finger tricks, rather than the moves themselves.

But that is TERRIBLE, when you try to learn one handed cubing or another different type of cubing. If you plan on just solving regularly, learn it by finger tricks is how i do it.

For example
If an algorithm has R U' R' in it, remember it as 1 move really, the R U R' trick. And that way an algorithm like this T perm can seem very short

R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' F'

Even though the algorithm is 14 moves long, I remember it like this

(R U R' U') (R' F R2) (U' R' U') (R U R') F'

Right there, turned 14 moves into 5 just by grouping them and remember which trick to do. Hope this helps.

Learn the alg front and backwards.

I never do one-handed cubing, so why should I learn the moves themselves?

If possible, I try to understand the algorithm. It makes memorizing a lot easier. But if I can't see how it works, I just repeat it 100-200 times and then I remember it.

The same, I just teach it to muscle memory, and then practise it until it is sub-concious

why would you want to learn the inverse? unless it was a useful alg in itself of course. Nobody would execute a fast order 2 PLL backwards...

DanH

I think he meant from other angles.

I read the algs, but when i apply them to the cube i learn everything about the way they feel, and look.

I just do it 2 or 3 times while imagining the corresponding case in my head and I have it memorized. Also while doing that I memorize based on these:

1. Feel
2. The way the pieces move
3. Sound - In my head I hear Rury You Are You Two Ree instead of RUR'URU2R' + I hear the three sounds the cube makes during RUR', the two sounds at UR, then U2R'.

Well, my personal method is very similar to the last one - I do remember the physical movements, but I also remember the sound. You can use it like a metronome to speed up with - when you hear a specific "clickity click click clickity" you can hear the tempo faster, and try and match it.

The OTHER thing I do to remember algs - I follow a specific cube and make it go on a journey - I remember the path it has to take and what rotation it goes on. This doesn't work for all of them, sometimes you need 2-3 cubes to know which path each one is taking but I use that as a guideline until I have it in my muscle memory

ha, well, ya, i basically do muscle memory

and one thing that...well i would like to do, for instance, me personally right now, i am making my transformation into well technically not the fridrich method, but ya, i am learning some LL algs to improve my time.

for this, if i could find something, i woudl solve the cube, and use a scramble just to scramble my LL, therefor you can solve just the LL and idk...more time spent on it=more memorization.

another tip, dont try to memorize too many.

i have somewhat of an above average IQ, but i can only get pretty much 1-2 algs a day...guh....if you try to memorize too many, and then you go to use them, you dont know any of them and they all blend togethter

also, i like to keep a cheat sheet by my bed and cube before bed, algs being fresh in ur mind before you go to sleep helps the algs go into your subconcious easier. Also, sometimes the room will be totally black, like the lights are off and everything, and i am visualizing my hands going thru the algs...and like...i keep the cube on my bedside table so i can pick it up, and just go thru the alg, i am not really looking for the colors or anything, cuz it is dark, but i just do it for the muscle memory...

i hate memorizing...

think of ZBF2L memorizing 96 algs before you could try to fully solve the cube without having to look at algs... that would be quite...ew.

1. Ready the algorithm

2. Run through it a few times and get the feel for it.

3. Looking at the cube while doing it helps to remember which way it turns.

4. Becomes second nature after practice

But yeah, Im the same as xcool

Read, visualize, muscle memory

yeah i actually do something of the sort as well, i'll look at the alg for a while and see what kind of fingertricks can be applied to it. then i learn to watch how the blocks are moving(this is great for transfer to OH), and then just repetition, i'll set up all my 3x3's, 4x4's, 5x5's (or whatever ones can be used) with the pattern i'm working on, and go through them all.

I try to put them into muscle memory from notation.

I haven't really tried visualising them before I know them, but I can after I know them.

The "normally" needed algorithms to solve any puzzle are known as well to my mind as to my fingers.
There are several (longer) algorithms, though (doing the "cube-in-the-cube" pretty pattern f.i. - 22 moves), that I can only do nowadays without thinking. If I try to check what I am doing, I mess up immediatly, whereas I can speak to someone while letting my fingers do the moves. I learned them by heart 25 years ago and they are only left in the finger memory now.

When learning the F2L algorithms as of right now. Everytime I learn one, Ill write it down backwards and reversed on the piece of paper. And everytime I learn a new one, I add it to the list, and then Ill run-through all the inverted cases and set them up so I can practice them more. It works really good.

I would have to say muscle memory as well...but it's taking quite a bit of time and I don't have all of the F2L algs memorized and I don't have any LL algs memorized yet.

enjoy the F2L while you can, LL algs are like 2 to 3 F2L agls together, depending on how long the F2Ls are though

I memorized like the LL algs first, well the perms and like a couple OLLs

but now I am learning the F2L, but like, it is tougher cuz like all the algs are like the same and I am learning like 2 a day, AND it is a lot tougher to recognize them compared to the PLL, for me at least.....

I don't learn F2L algorithms, I learn how the pieces move for F2L, it makes it so much easier. Intuitive F2L is much better than straight algorithms. I have a "move" (and I can do it from any angle) that I do for every case except a few that rarely occur.

For LL algs i mostly unsolve - solve F2L pairs (most common) or use parts of more than one alg together.

Here an example of an OLL/CLL alg that does the first thing:

Unsolve pair = R U2 R' restore = U2 - R' F R F'

Pure F2L stuff =)

The second method of memorising: here, also OLL/CLL (or COLL), I first use Sune (from the backside), then a U turn inbetween and then merge that with an antisune (frontside) and also saves some moves:

L U L' U L -- U -- R' U L U' R

Two algs I learned back in 1981 to remember

One more thing, I know at least 100 LL algos and that's much I know and the best trick I know for remember so many algs is to find them by trial rather than learning from a website or use solvers. If you once got the knack for finding good algs, then it gets more and more easy by time, both to find them and also to remember the algs.

Edit: Forgot, as usual, I'm also wery good at forgeting algs, must have lost at least as many as the ones I know, sometimes I learn a new alg and after a while I reflect "so it's that alg again, it must be the third time I learn this one"

i've learned that 37 times commits things to long term memory. i get an alg, learn to do it without looking at the paper. do the alg 37 times, and you will have it in your long term memory

I'm desperate enough to try that. I'm horrible at memorizing algs.

so was i, until i found this out


oh, and concentrate on the first few turns, if you remember them they kindof lead you into the rest of the alg.

Yeah!! I realized that. I wont know anything but the beginning, and once I do it, it kind of leads my fingers the rest of the way. Love it. Only bad thing is it's hard to change your way of doing the alg (finger tricks wise) because you try turning the cube a different way and it screws you up completely.

Can't remember which site it was...it mighta been macky's site...since the most popular beginner's method for last layer usually goes permutate corners, orient corners, permutate edges, orient edges, it might be helpful to memorize specific fidrich algs for specific situations. For example, since corners are already placed and oriented, then just memorize the paterns for permutating the edges.