OFFSET
0,2
COMMENTS
From Ben Whitmore, Dec 27 2024: (Start)
An alternative description is number of positions of the <U, M> subgroup of the Rubik cube at a distance of n moves from the solved state, in the slice-quarter-turn metric.
The slice-quarter-turn metric counts quarter-turns of outer faces and inner slices as 1 move, and half-turns of outer faces and inner slices as 2 moves.
The M slice is the middle layer between the left and the right faces, and an M move is a clockwise move of this slice when viewed from the left face.
The total number of positions is 6! * 2^5 * 4 * 2 = 184320.
The two positions requiring 23 moves can be reached by applying the following algorithm, or its inverse, to a solved cube: U M U M U M U M U' M U M' U M U M' U M U' M' U2 M. (End)
LINKS
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn,fini,full
AUTHOR
N. J. A. Sloane, Feb 26 2003
EXTENSIONS
a(11)-a(23) added by Ben Whitmore, Dec 27 2024
STATUS
approved