| The multiple rollers of a coding machine are each embossed with the 26 letters and wrapped in order similar to an odometer.
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With the rollers displaying the message:
"FOUR IS A SQUARE",
each roller position is advanced by the value of successive digits of the irrational √2 to yield:
"GSVV KT D XWWDYH".
If the rollers are locked as one cylinder and rotated through the display window one may view 25 other encryptions.
Using a related but not identical process, and just the values of
Π (= 3.141592), the following is the encrypted result:
"PAZYPMEPTUNYRXEWHFGNJRQMK".
Determine the original phrase.
Notes:
1. Spaces do not exist on the machine and are provided here (above example)for readability.
2. If it helps, each vowel occurs at least once.
3. [√2 = 1.41421356237]
(In reply to
Hint by brianjn)
Perhaps the givens have increased the difficulty.
The 3rd note gives [SQRT(2) = 1.41421356237]. I know this is not the actual numeric value of SQRT(2), but an approximation. Excluding spaces, "FOUR IS A SQUARE" is thirteen characters in length. Thus, what should have been given is the approximation: 1.414213562373, excluding the decimal point. This value has the needed thirteen digits needed to yield the code "GSVV KT D XWWDYH".
Thus, when given PI = 3.141592, it is not known how many of the digits of PI (3.1415926535897932384626433832795...) are used in the encryption.
The 'hint' of the title, "Pieces of Pi", may infer that one or more digits might be used for each letter to be converted; or, perhaps, certain digits are not used. Either of these possibilities increase the permutations of the possible keys.
Edited on September 7, 2008, 4:46 pm
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Posted by Dej Mar
on 2008-09-07 11:37:21 |
re: Hint
