I have recently coded the 1st line of an aria from an opera composed by George Gershwyn and I am ready to share with you the following information:

1. The code is a simple substitution code, ten distinct letters were replaced by the digits 0,1,2…9.
2. One letter was left uncoded.
3. The line consists of six words.
4. When coded the 1st, 4th, and the 5th words become square numbers and do not use the non-coded letter ,
5. The other words are either multiples of a square number, bigger than one, or use the uncoded letter.

I dare you to find the name of the aria, the numbers in my coding (or alternate solution complying with the above terms) and to explain how it relates to puzzle's title.

I am sorry for unnecessary work into wrong directions, and hopefully see the reason for the misunderstandings:

1st:   If s=4 then i=6  or 0 (nothing precludes leading zeroes)

2nd:  Text:    " The other words are either multiples of a square number, bigger than one, or use the uncoded letter."

3rd: The squares are 1st,3rd,4th and 5th. 3RD WAS SOMEHOW MISSING , and went unnoticed , since no one tried to solve it

"bigger than one" WAS ABSENT IN MY ORIGINAL TEXT and was added later due to someone's remark to disqualifty a trivial multiple (1*square) .

My intention was and is : " The other words are either non-trivial multiples of a square (=n*square; n>1), or use the uncoded letter."

I ALWAYS SOLVE THE PUZZLES I CREATE- AND USUALLY BELIEVE THAT THERE MIGHT BE ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS.

SINCE I DID NOT KEETP THE ANSWER I've spent about 30 minutes to solve it again(no prog, just excel) & now believe there is only one i.e. the intended solution.

For those that started is now D2 to finish.

Bess, u done drive us crazy...U is still my Bess..

Posted by Ady TZIDON on 2012-07-14 09:43:56