Ateneo de Zamboanga University

Graduate School
La Purisima St., Zamboanga City

A Case Study on the Four Cubes Problem

A requirement in

Math 525 Graph Theory

Leonardo D Dumadag, Ph D

Amora, Joni Czarina P.

Doctor of Philosophy in Science Education Major in Mathematics

 INTRODUCTION

The Four Cubes Problem is an intriguing recreational puzzle, also called Instant Insanity,

concern four cubes whose faces are colored red, blue green, and yellow. These cubes are depicted in

flattened-out form below:

R R Y B

R Y G B R Y B G B B R Y G Y R G

R Y Y Y

The colored cubes problem: Let C = {c1, c2, c3…, cq} be a set of cubes in which every face in each

one of them has been coloured using one color in a set K = {k1, k2, k3…, kq} of q colors. The problem we

are dealing with is to raise if it is possible, a pile with the q cubes in such a way that every one of the q

colors will appear once in every one of the four sides of the pile.

Using trial and error approach for this problem is inadvisable, since there are 24 symmetries of

the cube, in doing this puzzle with four blocks which can be placed in 24 different positions; that is:

244 = 331, 776 possible stacks

But then again, the answer to the problem is to pile the cubes on top of each other so that all

four colours appear on each side of the resulting “stack”. The possibility of getting the said stack might

be 1 out of the 331, 776 possibilities.

The main concern of the problem is to make sure that the opposite pairs of faces and which

among the three opposite pairs should appear on the sides of the stack.

The solution to this problem is to represent each cube by a graph, with four vertices R, B, G, Y

(corresponding to the four colors) wherein the two vertices are adjacent when the cube in question has

the corresponding colors on opposite faces.

2|Page
 The graphs for the above set of cubes are:

R B R B R G R G

G Y G Y Y B Y B

1st Cube 2nd Cube 3rd Cube 4th Cube

Combining the 4 different graphs will result to:

Legend:

Cube 1
Y B
Cube 2

Cube 3
G R
Cube 4

The solution to the four cubes problem is to find two subgraphs H1 and H2 of G. The first

subgraph shows which pair of colours appear on the front and back faces of each cube, while the other

subgraph shows which pair of colours appears on the left-hand and right hand faces of each cube. The

two subgraphs must possess three properties:

Property 1: Each subgraph contains exactly one edge from the graph of each cube

-each cube has a front and a back, and a left side and a right side, and the subgraphs H1 and H2 tells us

which pairs of colours appear on these faces.

Property 2: The subgraphs have no edges in common

-Faces appearing on the front and back of a cube cannot be the same as those appearing on the sides.

Property 3: Each vertex is incident with two edges

3|Page
 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
-Each color appears exactly twice on the sides of the stack (once on each side), and exactly twice on the

front and back (once on the front and once on the back).

The only solution for the said cubes above is shown below:

R 3 B R 2 B

4 1 1 3

G 2 Y G 4 Y

The subgraphs H1 and H2 tell us that the cube 1 has yellow on the front and blue on the back (from H1)

and red on the left and green on the right (from H2), and similarly for the other cubes.

The said solution is the only possible answer. But for other instances, there may exist several

solutions or no solution at all.

This case study would like to extend the Four Cubes Problem, by looking at two sets of different cubes.

Set 1:

Y G Y Y

R G B R R G B G R Y R B R G R Y

4|Page
 EXPLORATION, RESULTS, AND CONCLUSION

Y R G B

and
Set 2:

G B Y B

Y G R B G R R Y R Y G B Y B G R

R G Y B

Set 1:

Y G Y Y

R G B R R G B G R Y R B R G R Y

Y R G B

EXPLORATION

5|Page
 First step in solving the problem is to represent each cube by a graph, with four vertices R, B, G,

Y (corresponding to the four colors) wherein the two vertices are adjacent when the cube in question

has the corresponding colors on opposite faces. The graphs for the above set of cubes are:

R G R G R G R G

B Y B Y B Y B Y

1st Cube 2nd Cube 3rd Cube 4th Cube

Second step is to combine the 4 different graphs:

Legend:

Cube 1
R G
Cube 2

Cube 3
B Y
Cube 4

Third Step is to find two subgraphs H1 and H2 of G which must possess three properties:

Property 1: Each subgraph contains exactly one edge from the graph of each cube

Property 2: The subgraphs have no edges in common

6|Page
Property 3: Each vertex is incident with two edges

The following are the possible subgraphs for the given graph above:

Subgraph 1:

R 1 B R 2 B

2 4 1 3

G 3 Y G 4 Y
Subgraph 2:

R 1 B R 2 B

2 3 1 4

G 4 Y G 3 Y

Subgraph 3:

R 2 B R 1 B

1 4 2 3

G 3 Y G 4 Y
Subgraph 4:

R 2 B R 1 B

1 3 2 4

G 4 Y G 3 Y

The subgraphs H1 and H2 tell us that the cube 1 has yellow on the front and blue on the back (from H1)

and red on the left and green on the right (from H2), and similarly for the other cubes.

7|Page
RESULTS

Subgraph 1:

R 1 B R 2 B

2 4 1 3

3 Y 4 Y
G G
Front Side Opposite Side

Subgraph 2:

R 1 B R 2 B

2 3 1 4

G 4 Y G 3 Y

Front Side Opposite Side

Subgraph 3:

8|Page
 R 2 B R 1 B

1 4 2 3

G 3 Y G 4 Y

Front Side Opposite Side

Subgraph 4:

R 2 B R 1 B

1 3 2 4

G 4 Y G 3 Y

Front Side Opposite Side

9|Page
 EXPLORATION, RESULTS, AND CONCLUSION

Set 2:

G B Y B

Y G R B G R R Y R Y G B Y B G R

R G Y B

EXPLORATION

First step in solving the problem is to represent each cube by a graph, with four vertices R, B, G,

Y (corresponding to the four colors) wherein the two vertices are adjacent when the cube in question

has the corresponding colors on opposite faces. The graphs for the above set of cubes are:

R G R G R G R G

10 | P a g e
Y B Y B Y B Y B

1st Cube 2nd Cube 3rd Cube 4th Cube

Second step is to combine the 4 different graphs:

Legend:

Cube 1
R G
Cube 2

Cube 3
Y B
Cube 4

Third Step is to find two subgraphs H1 and H2 of G which must possess three properties:

Property 1: Each subgraph contains exactly one edge from the graph of each cube

Property 2: The subgraphs have no edges in common

Property 3: Each vertex is incident with two edges

RESULTS

11 | P a g e
 REFERENCES
There are no possible subgraphs than can be made which will possess all three properties. Thus,

it is impossible to create a stack of 4 cubes all of which each side or face has 4 different colors on it.

 Aldous, Joan M. & Wilson, Robin J. (2000). GRAPHS AND APPLICATIONS: AN INTRODUCTORY APPROACH.
Springer: London

 Arlinghaus, William C. THE TANTALIZING FOUR CUBES. Lawrence Technological University.

 Hinder, Michael. (2014) VARIATIONS OF THE FOUR CUBE PROBLEM. University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

12 | P a g e