Imagine a cube, 3x3x3 in size. Each of the 27 segments inside the cube contains a different character including the 26 letters and one space.

The characters are arranged in such a way that A will be next to B, which is next to C etc. They are connected side by side or top and bottom, not diagonally. The space is next to the Z; other punctuation should be ignored.

De-cipher the following code relating to the above cube:

y2b, x3a, y2a, z3c, y1b, x2b, y1b, z2a, x1a, x2c, x3a, y2c, y1b, y1a, x3b, x3a, z1a, y1b, y3b, z3b, y2b, z1c, y1b, x3b, x2b, z1a, y1b, y3b, z3b, z3c, y1b, z1a, y3b, y2b, x1a, y1a, x3a, y3b, z3b, y1b, x2c, x1a, y1a, y1b, y1a, x3b, z3c, z2a, z3c, y1b, z2b, x2b, z1c, y1b, x2c, z3c, y1b, z2b, y3b, z2a, z3c, y1b, y1a, x3b, x2b, z3b, y1b, y3b, z3b, z3c, y1b, x1c, x2b, z1c, y1b, y1a, y3b, y1b, y3c, x3a, z3b, z2c, y1b, x3a, y1a.

FYI, I used http://deafandblind.com/word_frequency.htm to see what were the most common 2-, 3-, and 4-letter words.

Ok, so the code is the coordinates of the segments in the cube. Well, the most frequent occurrence is y1b (18 times). I think it’s safe to say that y1b=Space.

x2b occurs 5 times, once as a single lettered word. So x2b is probably I or A. It also appears as the second letter in three different 3 letter words. This means it is most likely that x2b=A.

Two of the last three words are 2-letter words (y1a, y3b and x3a, y1a). Well, if y1a is a vowel, of the most common 2-letter words there is only one vowel that can be both the first and the last letter of the word – o. If y1a is a consonant, m,n,s,t are the ones that can be both the first and last letter of the word.

y1a is also the last letter in a 3 letter word and the first letter in two different 4 letter words. Of m,n,s,t and o, t is the most likely to end a 3 letter word, and the most likely to begin a 4 letter word. So I say y1a=T.

This means that y3b=O and x3a=A or I, but I’ve taken A, so I think x3a=I.

Notice the 8 letter word ends in TIO_. This is most likely TION, so I will say z3b=N. Is this legal? We said O was y3b, and z 3b is indeed adjacent to it, so I haven’t hit a roadblock quite yet.

Ok, now I have _O_ _TION. Going out on a limb, and using the context of this site, I will guess that this is SOLUTION. Would this cause any problems? Well, S and U would have to be adjacent to T, and z1a and x1a are indeed adjacent to y1a. Also, L would have to be "once removed" from N, and y2b is "up and over" from z3b, so this works. Ok, so z1a=S, y2b=L and x1a=U.

Also, since we know where L and N are, M would have to be y3b or z2b. O takes the y3b spot, so z2b=M.

The 3 letter word ON_ occurs twice. This is most likely ONE, so I will say z3c=E.

There are two words: T_IS and T_AN where the blank space is the same letter. H is the most likely candidate, so I will say x3b=H. Also x3b is indeed adjacent to x3a=I, so that is good.

Now I kind of switch gears and stop thinking about the words and focus on the letter placement around the cube, using the adjacency rules.

With S being z1a (a corner), R can only be y1a (but that is T), z1b, or z2a. R must also be able to connect to O, which we know is y3b. If R were z1b, the only way to place P and Q would be on (y2b, y1b) or (z3b, z2b). But all of those are taken by T, Space, N and M. Therefore it must be that z2a=R. This also means that y3a=P and z3a=Q (if Q=y2a, then the corner z3a would be cut off and whatever letter I put there wouldn’t be able to be adjacent to its neighboring letters).

This means that x2a=J, y2a=K, x1b=V, and x1c=W.

Ok, so far the message looks like it says "like a RU_I_ this onlY has one solution But there maY Be more than one waY to FinD it." So if my assumption is right, then z1c=Y, x2c=B, y3c=F, z2c=D.

Looking at the spots left on the cube, and the letters remaining (C, G, X, Z), the only way to place them according to the rules are y2c=C, x3c=G, y1c=X, and z1b=Z.

And the official message is "Like a Rubic, this only has one solution but there may be more than one way to find it." Wow, I hope my gibberish made sense and you could follow it!

Posted by nikki on 2005-01-05 21:12:06