Date: 5 December 1980 1848-est From: David C. Plummer Subject: That 28 move Plummer Cross To: Cube-Lovers@MIT-MC Something I noticed about that 28 move algorithm to get to the Plummer Cross. Any twist can be the first one made to take the Cross back to home. The last instructions are (UU DD) which can obviously be (UU D'D'), (DD UU), and (DD U'U'), so possible backward applications of the algorithm can start with U,D,U',D'. Add in the three way rotation symmetry of the cross and you can get all 12 moves as viable first moves. So, any move takes you closer to home (by this algorithm), so it has the chance of being the most distant from home. This requirement (any moves takes you closer) was mentioned by ALAN some time ago. (I don't hold that the Plummer Cross is the most distant.)