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Angus Thou whoreson cullionly barbermonger
Joined: 02 Feb 2004 Posts: 108 Location: London, UK
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 3:55 pm Post subject: Da Vinci Code judgement code |
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Hi,
The judge in the Da Vinci Code intellectual property case (Mr Justice Peter Smith) has embedded a hidden code in his judgment. Certain characters are bold and italic and spell out an encoded message.
The full document is at http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/images/judgment-files/baigent_v_rhg_0406.pdf - see e.g. the (hard to see) 's' of claimants in paragraph 1, and the easier to see 'm' in the second line of paragraph 2.
The text I have extracted is smithycodejaeiextostgpsacgreamqwfkadpmqzv
... but I can't decipher it!
Can you? _________________ Angus |
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Stretham Forum Hardass
Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Posts: 24857 Location: Here, there, somewhere, everywhere
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 4:33 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Angus
Long time no hear! I (or rather xyphic, who worked it out) can get slightly further. First letters of cipher words appear to be indicated by being at the start of text words. That would make the cipher text:
smithy code J aeiex tos tgpsacgreamq wf kadpm qzv
Obviously word lengths make it easier. It doesn't appear to be substitution though, and nothing I've tried with Vigenere works.
Stretham _________________ Is sloppiness in speech caused by ignorance or apathy?
I don't know and I don't care! |
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SparkPlug Because I can
Joined: 30 Jan 2004 Posts: 11973 Location: Here!
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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The block of text in which the letters are buried ends with:
Quote: | The key to solving the conundrum posed by this judgment is in reading HBHG and DVC. |
May help! |
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Hatfielder A great lubberly boy
Joined: 19 May 2004 Posts: 233 Location: The beautiful city of Durham, well a nearby village anyway
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 6:33 pm Post subject: |
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SparkPlug wrote: | The block of text in which the letters are buried ends with:
Quote: | The key to solving the conundrum posed by this judgment is in reading HBHG and DVC. |
May help! |
Then I have no hope having read neither - can't I just wait for the film.
The puzzles that google is producing every day as a promotion for the film are at least a fairly interesting 2 second distraction and are working as I'm now intrigued enough to go see the film.
Clare |
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PeterPan Thy mother's name is ominous to children
Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 38
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Angus Thou whoreson cullionly barbermonger
Joined: 02 Feb 2004 Posts: 108 Location: London, UK
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Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 3:06 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Stretham, xyphic and all.
Yes, it appears to have been solved, with heavy hints from the judge. Oh well. _________________ Angus |
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Hatfielder A great lubberly boy
Joined: 19 May 2004 Posts: 233 Location: The beautiful city of Durham, well a nearby village anyway
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Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 4:50 pm Post subject: |
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Although I don't understand how the Fibonacci sequence allows you to get that text.
Clare |
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xyphic Forum git
Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 2804 Location: Cambridge, UK
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Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:06 pm Post subject: |
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If you take a repeating fibonacci sequence (repeating when it reaches 21):
1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 1 1 2 3 5 13 21 1 1 2 3 5 13 21 ...
It's then just a ROT up by that number -1:
Code: | J 1 0 j
a 1 0 a
e 2 1 f <--- this is a mistake
i 3 2 k
e 5 4 i
x 8 7 e
t 13 12 f
o 21 20 i
s 1 0 s
t 1 0 t <--- mistake
g 2 1 h <--- mistake
p 3 2 r
s 5 4 w
a 8 7 h
c 13 12 o
etc... |
There are quite a few mistakes. Methinks he needs better playtesters. _________________ Puzzletome - Confusion now hath made his masterpiece! |
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PeterPan Thy mother's name is ominous to children
Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 38
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Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:53 pm Post subject: |
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xyphic wrote: | If you take a repeating fibonacci sequence (repeating when it reaches 21):
1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 1 1 2 3 5 13 21 1 1 2 3 5 13 21 ...
It's then just a ROT up by that number -1:
Code: | J 1 0 j
a 1 0 a
e 2 1 f <--- this is a mistake
i 3 2 k
e 5 4 i
x 8 7 e
t 13 12 f
o 21 20 i
s 1 0 s
t 1 0 t <--- mistake
g 2 1 h <--- mistake
p 3 2 r
s 5 4 w
a 8 7 h
c 13 12 o
etc... |
There are quite a few mistakes. Methinks he needs better playtesters. | The mistake is systematical, so it may be intended. If you subtract a 3 at positions 3, 11, 19, 27 (8*n-5, with 8/5 = 1.6, being quite close to Fibonacci's 'magical ratio' (1+sqrt(5))/2 - am I overlooking some simplification here?), it looks quite ok, except for 1 mistake at position 10. |
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