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Angus
Thou whoreson cullionly barbermonger


Joined: 02 Feb 2004
Posts: 108
Location: London, UK

PostPosted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 3:55 pm    Post subject: Da Vinci Code judgement code Reply with quote

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?
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Stretham
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Joined: 15 Sep 2003
Posts: 24792
Location: Here, there, somewhere, everywhere

PostPosted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 4:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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
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SparkPlug
Because I can


Joined: 30 Jan 2004
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 6:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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

PostPosted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 6:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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. Angelic

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

PostPosted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Possible explanation
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Angus
Thou whoreson cullionly barbermonger


Joined: 02 Feb 2004
Posts: 108
Location: London, UK

PostPosted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 3:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Stretham, xyphic and all.

Yes, it appears to have been solved, with heavy hints from the judge. Oh well.
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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

PostPosted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 4:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Although I don't understand how the Fibonacci sequence allows you to get that text. Confused

Clare
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xyphic
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Joined: 14 Sep 2003
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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. Razz
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PeterPan
Thy mother's name is ominous to children


Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 38

PostPosted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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. Razz
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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