LLM models can not do spacial reasoning. I haven't tried with GPT, however, Claude can not solve a Rubik Cube no matter how much I try with prompt engineering. I got Opus 4.6 to get ~70% of the puzzle solved but it got stuck. At $20 a run it prohibitively expensive.

The point is if we can prompt an LLM to reason about 3 dimensions, we likely will be able to apply that to math problems which it isn't able to solve currently.

I should release my Rubiks Cube MCP server with the challenge to see if someone can write a prompt to solve a Rubik's Cube.

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embedding-shape 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> I should release my Rubiks Cube MCP server with the challenge to see if someone can write a prompt to solve a Rubik's Cube.

Do it, I'm game! You nerdsniped me immediately and my brain went "That sounds easy, I'm sure I could do that in a night" so I'm surely not alone in being almost triggered by what you wrote. I bet I could even do it with a local model!

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Melatonic 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

What about a model designed for robotics and vision? Seems like an LLM trained on text would inherently not be great for this.

DeepMinds other models however might do better?

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snet0 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

How are you handing the cube state to the model?

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dataviz1000 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Does this answer the question?

Opus 4.6 got the cross and started to get several pieces on the correct faces. It couldn't reason past this. You can see the prompts and all the turn messages.

https://gist.github.com/adam-s/b343a6077dd2f647020ccacea4140...

edit: I can't reply to message below. The point isn't can we solve a Rubik's Cube with a python script and tool calls. The point is can we get an LLM to reason about moving things in 3 dimensions. The prompt is a puzzle in the way that a Rubik's Cube is a puzzle. A 7 year old child can learn 6 moves and figure out how to solve a Rubik's Cube in a weekend, the LLM can't solve it. However, can, given the correct prompt, a LLM solve it? The prompt is the puzzle. That is why it is fun and interesting. Plus, it is a spatial problem so if we solve that we solve a massive class of problems including huge swathes of mathematics the LLMs can't touch yet.

	▲	osti 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Can't they write a script to solve rubik cubes?

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6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

[deleted]

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Torkel 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

*yet