CubeSolver-Java

A small Java Rubik's Cube toolkit and solver (research / hobby project).

Contents

• Cube.java — cube model and move implementations (byte[54] sticker representation).
• CubeSolver.java — depth-limited search / IDDFS solver with simple pruning; phase-1 / phase-2 routines.
• Main.java — entry point and simple UI integration.
• CubeUI.java / Drawing.java — Swing UI to view and manipulate the cube; keyboard controls in KeyHandler.java.
• Move.java, IntStack.java, Heuristic.java — supporting classes and utilities.

Build & run (command line)

1. Compile:

   javac -d out *.java

2. Run the GUI demo:

   java -cp out Main

3. Run with a larger heap (recommended for heavy searches):

   java -Xmx2g -cp out Main

Using the GUI

• The application will open a window showing the cube.
• Keyboard controls are defined in KeyHandler.java (single-letter keys apply moves; space starts the solver).

Notes on performance

• The solver is CPU- and memory-sensitive. For large searches prefer:
  • IDDFS (keep only current path in memory) rather than storing entire frontiers.
  • Compact keys for visited-state sets (packed longs or Zobrist 64-bit keys) instead of large arrays or String keys.
  • In-place move application + undoMove to avoid frequent allocation.