The AI method - Gigaminx Tutorial

Introduction

The Gigaminx is a great puzzle to solve, especially if it's a well-turning puzzle. Nevertheless, the solve of the Gigaminx, Teraminx etc. can get boring after a while. It consists of 12 centers which need to be reduced, each in the same way. Same story for the 30 edges. This is still reasonable on the Gigaminx, but can get tedious on higher order minx-puzzles. This tutorial might get rid of your daily searches for fun in the solving experience of puzzles of this kind.

There are 2 thing I assume you know when you start this exciting adventure: you're able to solve a Megaminx and you're familiar with the AI reduction method. If the latter sounds foreign to you, you might want to consider checking out this article which explains this approach on a 4x4, or you can consult my 4x4 AI tutorial.

Approach

Reducing a 5x5 to a 3x3 with the AI method is no different than reducing a 4x4 to a 2x2. The only difference lies within the edges. Therefore, reducing a Gigaminx (which is essentially a transformation of a regular cubic 5x5 to a dodecahedron, a 12-sided puzzle) to a Megaminx by reducing corner blocks (each consisting of 7 pieces) and edges (each consisting of 3 pieces) is very similar.

The way I'll solve it, is by pretending I'm solving a Megaminx, reducing the pieces I need along the way. For example: my first step is putting in the white edges, so I'll reduce 5 white edge pieces. The next step is putting in the white corners, so I'll reduce 5 white corner blocks etc.

I'm solving on a Shengshou Gigaminx and I'll start on the white face (which means I'll end with the grey). The steps will be accompanied by a video tutorial I once made on Youtube. If you want to see the theory in action or just a demonstration of a particular step, I refer you to the video. My writing might be similar to what I say and show on the video. You can read and/or watch; whatever takes your fancy. Lastly, I want to point out that I'm solving the Megaminx along with the Gigaminx in the videos, so it's more clear on what stage we're at in the process.
If there are any obscurities, you can simply comment on a video or on this post below. Good luck!

Tutorial

Step 1 - First layer: white edges and corners

-   Edges

The first, very intuitive, step is to reduce 5 white edges, each consisting of 3 pieces.

Find a small edge piece with 2 stickers, one of them being white. For example: say you've found the white-red edge. The next step is to find a white big center piece which fit underneath the white sticker of the edge piece. Shuffle both around to put the center piece there. Next, find a red one and do the same.

Once the edge is reduced, you can simply put it in between the white and red center.

Do the same for the remaining edges, keeping an eye on the ones you've already reduced so you'll not break them unintentionally.

-   Corners

The 5 white corners are reduced in a similar manner. Find one corner which has a white sticker on it. For example: you've found the white-red-blue corner. Find 1 of the 3 edges* which fit on the corner; in this case the red-blue edge fits. Match the corner with the edge.

Next, find another one of those 3 fitting edges and match it up with a center piece. In our example, say we've found the red-white edge; we'll match it with a red center piece. This way, we have 2 sets of matched up pieces, which can be put together to form a red sheet of 4 pieces. (I'll keep calling this a sheet)

Finally, find the remaining edge and match it to 2 fitting center pieces. In our example, these 2 pieces are white and blue (I'll call this center-edge-center combination a base). Now the base can be matched up with the sheet to form a fully reduced white-red-blue corner block. This can be put in next to its corresponding edges which we reduced previously.

This kind of matching up is done rather intuitively. I refer you to the first video where I show and explain it in more detail.

*by edges I don't mean the same ones as mentioned in the previous step, but the edge pieces which belong next to them

Step 2 - Megaminx approach

The approach used in the first layer can be used to work your way up the puzzle. It does, however, become more and more difficult for space becomes limited as you approach the top layer. I recommend watching the video if you still struggle with specifics, but I assure you the strategy is just the same as in Step 1.

Furthermore, you don't have to use my order of reduction since your way of solving a Megaminx can be different from mine. This really doesn't matter, as long as you have it fully reduced up to the last layer.

Step 3 - Last layer: Edges

You only need two algorithms in this step:

Sune: R U R' U R 3U R'

Edge rotation: F R U R' U' F'

Since we reduced the puzzle according to the Megaminx solve, the 5 last edges we end up with, each have one colour in common (mine is grey). This is really important since it reduces the level of difficulty tremendously.

Step 3 almost comes as a break after the long journey to the top. It's not difficult at all and I believe the video may be the best explanation since you see what's going on.

Reducing the last 5 edges is a matter of matching up, holding the lower layer steady and moving the top layer. There are two possibilities when you match up a small two-coloured edge piece with a one-coloured center-edge-piece: (1) the pair is not grey or (2) the pair is grey.

(1) When your matched pair is not grey, I encourage you to rotate this pair using the second algorithm. This way, the matched up center-edge-piece is safely attached to the small edge and can't be broken when moving the top layer.

(2) When your matched pair is grey, you may do with it whatever is the most convenient. This really doesn't matter, because at the end of the day, all the grey will be in the bottom layer and all the other colours will be on top.

This step takes some fiddling around but it's not that difficult. Using the Sune to shuffle the edges around and the second algorithm to rotate them, this shouldn't cause any trouble.

It's possible, however, to run into a situation which may feel like a parity problem. This really isn't parity at all. It's caused because you're dealing with 5 grey center pieces which are exactly the same. Switching them gets rid of the problem. I explain this in more detail in the video.

After all your edges are reduced, you can rotate them so all the colours are facing up and all the grey is at the sides. This may or may not be possible with the second algorithm. In case you can't pull this off, rotate one edge of the previous step. It really doesn't matter if everything under the last layer is messed up, as long as your 5 reduced grey edge pieces are in the top layer with the 5 unreduced corner blocks.

Step 4 - Last layer: Corners

(The third video also explains this step)

Since your grey edge pieces are all facing down, you're not breaking up edges when you move the top layer independently, since you're relying on the equivalence between grey center pieces. This is why it's important to have 5 last edges with one colour in common.

This step is almost the same as a normal 4x4 AI solve. The reduction of the corner blocks is exactly the same. There is, however, one thing I've changed when I recorded the videos (compared to a 4x4 AI reduction): I don't use a Corner Swap algorithm to swap 2 corner blocks, but the normal Corner Permutation algorithm. The latter 3-cycles blocks, but also rotates the them. They can, however, simply be rotated properly as you'd normally do during the reduction process.

I won't go into the details here, because I assume you're familiar with a 4x4 AI solve. The video goes over a solve and might create some clarity, in case you run into any trouble.

Step 5 - Megaminx solve

What you end up with, is a fully reduced Megaminx! The difference, however, is that the centers and edges aren't reduced, but the corners and edges. Now you can solve the puzzle as a Megaminx with the method that takes your fancy.

Conclusion

If you think, after Step 5, that's it's not necessary to reduce in relation to the Megaminx solve, than you're absolutely right! There's totally no need at all to do it this way; the only thing that matters is that the last 5 edges on your last face each have a colour in common. The reason why I do it this way, is because it gives me a bit of an order to reduce and, of course, it's nice to see the process you've done so far.

Note that this tutorial is valid for any minx-type puzzle except for the Kilominx and the Megaminx.