A special National Cipher Challenge for extraordinary times › Forums › Bureau of Security and Signals Intelligence Forum › Ciphers and Puzzles from Competitors
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8th June 2020 at 5:13 pm #48887Inactive
@Kford-academy you have 3 two letter words MU only 3 letter words or more were stipulated – sorry – good try though.
8th June 2020 at 5:46 pm #4888910degrees-admin
KeymasterWhoops!
8th June 2020 at 5:52 pm #4889010degrees-admin
KeymasterUpdated crosswords!
(Grid 1)
[Q][U][E][S][T][S][_]
[U][_][L][_][Y][_][Z]
[I][_][F][_][P][_][O]
[Z][_][_][Z][E][R][O]
[E][_][_][E][_][_][S]
[S][_][_][S][I][X][_]
[_][F][A][T][_][_][_]Score: 84
(Grid 3 – HARRY)
[H][Y][R][A][X][_][A]
[Y][_][_][Z][_][_][M]
[R][_][_][U][_][_][N]
[A][Z][U][R][E][_][E]
[X][_][_][E][L][K][S]
[_][_][_][_][K][_][T]
[R][U][D][E][S][B][Y]Score: 98
8th June 2020 at 6:52 pm #4889310degrees-admin
KeymasterHarry, please delete my previous post. Replace with:
They are called continued fractions.
1. phi
2. 1 + sqrt 2
3. [sqrt2 – 1]^2 not an integer, so I don’t trust you any more
4. 5.5
5. (3+sqrt 33)/6
6. (9+sqrt 241)/108th June 2020 at 8:35 pm #4889410degrees-admin
Keymaster@Madness, well done! You have got all of them right, apart from 4, 5 and 6. (Sorry about number 3 – I meant ‘[1+(1/(2+1/(2+1/(2+1…]^2’. Please forgive me!)
8th June 2020 at 8:37 pm #48895InactiveTLW Snake Place Puzzles
=======================
The following is taken from The Guardian newspaper 09/10/2017
Alex Bellos’s Monday puzzle column.In Snake Place the challenge is to draw ‘snakes’ on the grid.
Each snake connects the digits in a range (shown top left above the grid),
from 1 to the highest number, with consecutive numbers joining
vertically or horizontally to adjacent circles*.
(Never diagonally). Snakes cannot cross black circles*.*These are usually drawn as circles in a grid, here an X is used for black circles.
======================== (#0)
Here’s a simple Snake Place, and the solution.
Snake 1~~4
[X][_][1][_]
[4][_][X][_]
[_][_][_][2]
[X][3][_][X][X][2][1][4] 1>LDL _______(Read as: From the 1 go Left, Down, Left.
[4][3][X][3] _____________(no starting 1’s in this row)
[1][2][1][2] 1>RDR, 1>RUU (index the 1’s from left to right in the row)
[X][3][4][X] _____________(no starting 1’s in this row)My Convention: Reference is to the starting 1’s in a row, leftmost first.
A Snakes numbers follow the U up, D down, L left, R right path.You can post answers like so:
ANSWER #0
ROW1 1>LDL
ROW2 –
ROW3 1>RDR, 1>RUU
ROW4 –
or as a filled in grid with the moves to the left as shown here.
[X][2][1][4] 1>LDL
[4][3][X][3]
[1][2][1][2] 1>RDR, 1>RUU
[X][3][4][X]THE 5 SNAKE PLACE PUZZLES
======================== (#1)
Snake 1~~4
[_][3][X][_][_][2]
[1][_][_][3][X][_]
[_][_][4][_][_][_]
[_][_][_][1][_][X]
[3][X][_][_][_][_]
[_][_][4][_][_][_]======================== (#2)
Snake 1~~~5
[_][_][1][X][1][_][_]
[_][_][_][_][_][_][2]
[4][X][_][5][_][_][_]
[_][_][_][_][3][_][4]
[_][2][_][1][_][X][_]
[_][_][_][_][_][_][_]
[5][_][5][X][_][_][5]======================== (#3)
Snake 1~~~~6
[_][_][_][4][_][3][_][_]
[_][1][_][_][1][_][X][_]
[3][_][X][_][_][_][_][6]
[_][1][_][2][_][_][5][_]
[_][_][_][_][_][_][_][_]
[_][6][_][_][_][X][_][1]
[_][X][_][1][_][5][_][_]
[5][_][_][_][_][_][4][_]======================== (#4)
Snake 1~~~~~7
[_][_][_][2][_][_][_][_][_]
[_][_][3][_][X][_][_][1][_]
[5][_][_][_][_][6][_][_][2]
[_][_][2][_][4][_][_][3][_]
[3][_][X][_][_][_][X][_][1]
[_][7][_][6][_][_][_][_][_]
[_][_][_][_][2][_][_][_][_]
[4][_][1][_][X][_][3][_][7]
[_][_][_][7][_][5][_][_][_]======================== (#5)
Snake 1~~4
[_][1][_][2][_][1][_][_][_][1]
[_][3][_][4][_][_][4][_][_][1]
[_][_][_][_][_][_][_][_][_][_]
[_][_][_][1][4][_][_][_][_][2]
[2][4][_][_][_][_][4][1][_][1]
[_][_][_][4][_][_][_][_][_][_]
[1][_][_][2][_][2][1][_][4][4]
[_][4][_][_][_][_][_][_][_][_]
[_][_][_][1][_][_][3][_][1][4]
[1][4][_][3][_][2][_][_][_][_]==============================
8th June 2020 at 8:37 pm #48885InactiveAaaahhhhhh Madness, your cipher took ages, a very devious and clever cipher. The ioc threw me off but here is the answer and explanation:
IF EVER YOU FIND YOURSELF IN CALIFORNIA GET TO THE AIRPORT AS FAST AS YOU CAN IN PREPARATION YOU SHOULD MEMORIZE THE LOCATIONS OF THE MAJOR AIRPORTS THE SAN DIEGO AIRPORT IS AT THE NORTH END OF THE BAY JUST GO NORTH FROM DOWNTOWN
LOS ANGELES HAS SEVERAL AIRPORTS INCLUDING LAX ONTARIO AND BURBANK TO FIND LAX WHICH IS LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL GET ONTO SEPULVEDA BLVD AND HEAD TOWARD THE LOUD AIRPLANE NOISES THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HAS TWO MAIN AIRPORTS ONE ON EACH SIDE OF THE BAY NAMED OAKLAND AND SF INTERNATIONAL EACH CAN BE REACHED BY BART WHICH IS THE NAME OF THE SUBWAY IN THAT AREA
IF YOU ARE NORTH OF SAN FRANCISCO LIFE IS MORE TOLERABLE THIS IS GOOD BECAUSE YOU MAY NEED MORE TIME TO FIND AN AIRPORT
THE NEAREST AIRPORT MIGHT EVEN BE IN ANOTHER STATE SUCH AS PORTLAND OREGON OR BOISE IDAHO IF YOU GET LOST ASK THE LOCALS FOR HELP THEY WANT YOU TO LEAVE JUST AS MUCH AS YOU DO.So from what i got it seems to be a 5-bit for the letters a-z but it is padded to 7-bits with some zeroes as well.
A very well made cipher madness!!!
9th June 2020 at 9:31 am #4890810degrees-admin
Keymaster@the-letter-wriggler, do the snakes have to be connected head-to-tail (e.g. 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4), or do they not (e.g. 1-2-3-4-4-3-2-1)?
9th June 2020 at 9:31 am #4890910degrees-admin
KeymasterGetting there with my Self-Made crosswords!
(Grid 5)
[B][_][_][Q][U][I][Z]
[Y][U][Z][U][_][_][A]
[E][_][_][I][K][O][N]
[_][F][_][Z][_][_][Y]
[F][U][Z][Z][Y][_][_]
[_][Z][_][E][_][_][_]
[_][Z][Y][D][E][C][O]Score: 127
9th June 2020 at 10:07 am #48910Inactive@Kford-academy you fit the snakes in as the grid allows – you have to fill out the whole grid – it is for you to decide where a snake starts and winds within the grid. Hope that helps.
9th June 2020 at 10:36 am #48911InactiveOf course if a 1 is given you start with that as the snakes head.
9th June 2020 at 12:02 pm #4891310degrees-admin
KeymasterKA-4 News!
Sorry again! You did get numbers 5 and 6 right, @Madness – error in my calculations!10th June 2020 at 9:54 am #4892410degrees-admin
KeymasterKA-5
Here is my next puzzle. Each letter from A to H represents a different digit from 0 to 9. Good luck!
Please submit answers in the form KA-5 ABCDEFGH, where ‘ABCDEFGH’ is the answer, where you put the digit representing A first, then B, then C, and so on until H. (For example, if you thought A=1, B=2, C=3, and so on until H=8, you would put ‘KA-5 12345678’.)
Clues:
1. E-D=A
2. EH+E=A+D
3. DG=H+G
4. CG-G=G(G+H)
5. C+G=A-C
6. A=5+C
7. E^2=10A+1
8. B-A=D-C=F-E=H-G10th June 2020 at 1:42 pm #4893110degrees-admin
KeymasterMy solution for Snake Place Puzzle 1!
[4][3][X][4][1][2]
[1][2][1][3][X][3]
[2][3][4][2][1][4]
[4][1][2][1][2][X]
[3][X][3][4][3][4]
[2][1][4][3][2][1]10th June 2020 at 1:45 pm #48932InactiveI have created a cipher for all of you to try out. Whilst it isn’t a secure cipher some thinking may be required. It could probably be made more secure by double encryption but still would be a pretty rubbish method of encryption. Anyway here is the ciphertext:
HEKGHEJKBKIBKECDIIGBECEIHDDKKBDHBHDAJBHIBIFGHBDHFEDIIJDBAIGEBJCHEJHADEEA
IDHFKBJGIBCACIBKAKJBIJCDKGFEICGIHIBJAADCKJHGFKHJGCAKJBBEFHKCDGFGIJDCGABD
HJKFKKFKFBAJCHGJHEBDHCGGJKICCFHJKFIDJGJBFJDIHAEKIEBEFICEGFKHIBKCACKJJKFK
KKCBGECJADIAGFIDHGBGFJIECHIAIKHKFCHAAKEBGCFEEIDKECBKDEBBKBIGADEGCKJEHIHK
EIJEDFCIDGJBEDJIECGDKJDFIIIAFFAIDAEACIHKGCFIHGFBAFJFEACAHJIJKEFGICEBJAFC
DAJKECFDEFAECHGJCFJGFCIIJBJCIHAGAKEIEEJEJDCGHKDABBCCGCIIAECBIKDDAJFEGCAC
AHCAIADJBAKCKFIJFGJBEDDKIJCEAADHCAEAIGCHDECFAEKKCJBHDEBDHGIFDICIKGDAIDGJ
JBABJHAKHAHADHHJGCIFBGDFJGCGGAJFCBCEBJABGHFKJDHIDHBEGIGBADDCDFEJHHGAFEBF
HABIACJFABBJHFEGADHKGJGGEHKDKIAHBDDGDHDHBFJDJIAGJDADEEJDAHAJDKIBFIAGJAEI
JKHKHBABJJHCAKFEAHGKJABEKIKDEDKBDGAGKJHBIICCHBFGGAKGHKHKJEHAIDGGBDBJCFID
HDKDIGFBAGBJJCFIFEAACBBDKJJFFBJKGCHBAJFAGBKAHKEKCGADBJBJEAEAKHBJEDDBDGKF
KAGKGGIKJCFHAKKHDGECIBKJJABCIGDCFEICJIIKFHCHFECHGGIIEIEKIAAIFJJGDCIGDKEB
ABFGGCEEKCAFHIHHKKGHKCAEJDCIIHBKFJKJEGJKFDBKIJKDCHKFDGKBEIHAFJJBDKICJDJD
KDGEKEEAHAHAJIDIKDFJDGDFCADDKGHABBGBKDGICDFCHKJFFABDIGECFEIJKFEKIIJGDBJD
DIEGFCDDIEHDGCIFJAIEJKAJEAFAIDAGBGABEBKHCFFKBHCBDAEGGIFKCFKCKBAGJCIFGKFH
HIJFIJFACHDKADDGGDJECHAHIDJHHEGEHAGEDHIEBEBKEABJAFBHEBGCFDIACJGIEHEGDEDI
HGCCHFAFKFHJIABCGIJEFCEBCADEKIEIACHBDGCHFHDDHBCICCJIHBCGDGGAEJIDADHJAAGK
BIJEIADJHFGBKCACDDIBKJICBICCDGIJACAECCICICBCEAHDAAIKGBKAHGJBKHHBKBIIHJBG
KIJCHEBCFHDEFCIJAJEGCCJGICEEIJDDJECIACGBIDDDFJCBDFJIIIJEAADFAGDFBBKEBCDA
CDKGIAAJJHFCKJFIFFIIBKEGDDKKCJJEEFDJHFGDKEEKHKIFCKAEAHJBDKGHIJCFDEGGJCCI
DHKKAKFFJEBCHIIGGAKKABHCEFJJEJGEICGFHICIIIGGKFCJCHECEEBJCGAJFDAKJJDEKJDF
JIJEGKCBBDJDDBEFJHFFJJKGGHDDBEHAAGIHDGKJCACAGFDFIGBKDDKEEADFIJIDFECHBGCF
KCFECBJFKAFIDKJEDGHFJKDFBGBCJHBIFKHCFHKCGHEDIEEJKHAKIBEKEBAGIFJBGHEEHIGA
FCHKEBBCHKJFJGJKHEEKKIFBCECJBEEICEGACIDIHJDKFIECFHKIGIGGJBKDHBCHBCEGHBEA
EECFDFHGIFEHHHEJFFIACIBEKKGGKBBEAACCAIBFECJFBKDEHEGGIFDDJCKACFBHDIBBDCBE
DDEFGIJFFEGKEKDHJFDDFHHDABCHGBFKFFKEBEFEIJEGHKFHCKDCKKDHGDCFCBJBBAHHDAIK
CBICGDBACEHDGBBDFGBJJKFKGFJIAGGCFHHEDEHIJDBCHDKKGHEIKDJKFKCFCEBEFCDGDJHD
JFDGBCBJKEIJGJFKFFGIBJEKBIDBBBFJEEACCIG -
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