Date: 6 DEC 1980 1841-EST From: DCP at MIT-MC (David C. Plummer) Subject: Re: That 28 move Plummer Cross To: DDYER at MIT-MC CC: CUBE-LOVERS at MIT-MC Date: 6 Dec 1980 1428-PST From: Dave Dyer In-Reply-To: Your message of 6-Dec-80 1340-PST Remailed-date: 6 Dec 1980 1429-PST Remailed-from: Dave Dyer Remailed-to: cube-lovers at MIT-MC While I believe it is true that all symmetric positions are local maxima, It is definitely NOT true that all local maxima are symmetric. As a counterexample, consider that a repeated permutation is at a local maximum 1/2 way through its period. So for example, the Idempotent ( r u -r -u )^6 is at a familiar but unsymmetric local maximum halfway through. ------- I think what most of mean by LOCAL MAXIMUM is that ANY twist will bring you closer to home. The proposed counterexample can be taken farthur away from home (eg (R U -R -U)^3 then D)