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October 27, 2005
Scoring for Challenge 5
Maximum points this week: 40 for any correct entry received today
After that the points drop by 1 every 8 hours. Any questions? Good luck,
Posted by Harry at October 27, 2005 03:27 PM
Comments
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Putting in spaces does mean that you lose time, but on the other hand it is more likely that you will spot any mistakes you have made, so it may save you some time in the long term in certain circumstances ie. if you have solved the cipher by hand.
Posted by: Clever Code Cracker at October 31, 2005 07:15 PM
I've completed part b - but with supposedly an error (which I think is wrong) - how does that effect my score? - is lowered or do I not recieve any points?
[A mistake lowers your score, but you can raise it by submitting a better solution. The quicker you do that the more you will improve your score. Harry]
Posted by: Stephen Harris at October 31, 2005 09:07 AM
But unfortunately, us mere cipher-breakers do.
Posted by: OcelotIIX at October 30, 2005 08:24 PM
Code-breakers never sleep. ;-)
Posted by: at at October 30, 2005 02:47 PM
The scoring decreases by one point every eight hours; so does that mean that instead of 8am, 4pm and 12pm that the brackets are currently; after the clocks go back tonight, it will be 7am, 3pm and 11pm??? Hence the challenge will finish at 11pm on the second Wednesday?
Or will the clocks going back be just an unfortunate event that doesn't affect it that much as it gives only an extra hour when we should all be in bed anyway?
[Good question. From my point of view it is a fortunate event that doesn't affect it that much as it gives only an extra hour when we should all be in bed anyway. Harry]
Posted by: Andy at October 29, 2005 01:44 PM
If you are stuck with 5B, then maybe a diagram will help...
{How? Harry]
Posted by: Grannys Hobbits at October 28, 2005 08:42 PM
All spaces are removed, and all numbers, and all punctuation, and all completely random symbols. Only A-Z and a-z are checked. And whilst putting in spaces is a good idea if you want to read it, you would have got full speed points if you hadn't :(
Posted by: Ian at October 28, 2005 05:06 PM
Sill Harry with the morse code toy is all I can say...
I did feel like an idiot when I read what challenge A had to say (did B first; got some interesting letters first time around)
Jason - they take spaces out. Basically the only stuff they keep in are letters (I am not sure about numbers...but I think they take them out also)
As for keeping leaders together, well isn't it just my luck that I can't actually do Thursdays on the next two challenege dates; that will be interesting. I will find a way, somehow...
Posted by: Andy at October 28, 2005 03:10 PM
if you are still stuck on 5B try solving it by hand.
Posted by: Rob at October 28, 2005 11:16 AM
Jason- I don't think they do count spaces. Numerals are removed, I think it's just the actual alphabetic characters, the letters a-z which are checked.
Posted by: Jess at October 28, 2005 10:23 AM
Thanks for getting the feedback out before midnight (presumably to give people a second chance, keeping all the leaders together) - with a whole 2 hours to spare!!!
Posted by: cecil at October 28, 2005 08:28 AM
When you say you will delete all non-alphanumeric characters, do you include SPACES in that?
I just realised that if i had submitted my solution as i had generated it i would have made the 40point deadline. However I spent 10mins entering spaces to make meaningful words and hence missed the deadline. Do you count spaces?
Posted by: Jason at October 28, 2005 12:32 AM
Your morse code 'toy' is evil! Stop changing from one to the other ... :)
>>making the last three more exciting and more significant
Perhaps more stressed and more competitive would be more appropriate?!
Just cracked 5B at 23:35. Yay!
Posted by: harry de voil at October 27, 2005 11:35 PM
Cannot find challenge 5. Even after a refresh my browser only shows the info about he teachers pack etc. Any suggestions?
[Look at www.cipher.maths.soton.ac.uk/Challenge5.txt. Harry]
Posted by: Chris at October 27, 2005 11:21 PM
Jo - a frequency analysis might help :)
Posted by: Andy at October 27, 2005 10:43 PM
is it remotely possible that you could give a hint as to the type of the second cipher ...?
(this is to harry or to any other kind-hearted soul out there!!!)
thanks so much
jo :-)
[Certainly. Maybe tomorrow. Or maybe not! Sometime, but not too soon. Harry]
Posted by: Jo saxby at October 27, 2005 08:55 PM
Just been doing part b and getting nowhere, then had a break to clear my mind then had one of those lightbulb moments :D I'm so happy :p
Posted by: cecil at October 27, 2005 07:15 PM
I know this is a two week challenge, but why are the timing intervals bigger this week than last?
Just curious.
[Because we decided to try and keep the pack of leaders together for this challenge making the last three more exciting and more significant! Harry]
Posted by: tom at October 27, 2005 06:18 PM
When you say today, do you mean we have until midnight tonight to get maximum speed points?
[Yes, Harry.]
Posted by: Ned at October 27, 2005 05:44 PM