# Decryption of a text.

## Main Question or Discussion Point

Hello,

The following text has been encrypted using a numerical technique. A student did it so it is not highly sophisticated. The text is:

434548466365686672635857000000007375787663646866535458565274897772637957000000001213878622237776323367664243575600000000434548465355394755566866434548465355394755566866636459686465686700000000434548465355585763653947737468667263496700000000121387862223777632336766424357560000000033353836434548475355585663645957726339586372583700000000434548465354585763656866000000003335383653555856625348474233595752423958425258370000000535558575254000000001213878622237776323367664243575600000000636568665355585673747877725459576272696872624958000000006365686753554846434558577263394700000000737478776364686653545857747549676465796854500000000333538373536484653555857555646456365787773754938757600000000333578765355585663653837434537367375

The only available hint is: "eight(8)".

If any of you can provide any help or actually decipher it please let me know ! Besides it is a nice challenge and am currently also working on it.

Thank you,

Baroudeh.

Related Linear and Abstract Algebra News on Phys.org
43454846-63656866-72635857-00000000-73757876-63646866-53
54585652-74897772-63795700-00000012-13878622-23777632-33
67664243-57560000-00004345-48465355-39475556-68664345-48
46535539-47555668-66636459-68646568-67000000-00434548-46
53555857-63653947-73746866-72634967-00000000-12138786-22
23777632-33676642-43575600-00000033-35383643-45484753-55
58566364-59577263-39586372-58370000-00004345-48465354-58
57636568-66000000-00333538-36535558-56625348-47423359-57
52423958-42525837-00000005-35558575-25400000-00012138-78
62223777-63233676-64243575-60000000-06365686-65355585-67
37478777-25459576-27269687-26249580-00000006-36568675-35
54846434-55857726-33947000-00000737-47877636-46866535-45
85774754-96764657-96854500-00000033-35383735-36484653-55
58575556-46456365-78777375-49387576-00000000-33357876-53
55585663-65383743-45373673-75

I don´t know... could be anything... I followed the hint separating in sets of 8 elements, and everu set ends with a 2 lenght number becuse you posted the cyphered text with separated parts by space

In fact, it is improbable that every set of 8 elements represents a word, since there is to many words with exactly 8 letters, but we don't know if every number with 2 elements representes a letter, since the alphabet has only 26 letters and there is numbers such like 96. Could be a cypher such that more than one number represents a letter. Some sets of numbers are most common:

43-45-48-46-63-65-68-66-72-63-58-57-00-00-00-00-73-75-78-76-63-64-68-66-53
54-58-56-52-74-89-77-72-63-79-57-00-00-00-00-12-13-87-86-22-23-77-76-32-33
67-66-42-43-57-56-00-00-00-00-43-45-48-46-53-55-39-47-55-56-68-66-43-45-48
46
-53-55-39-47-55-56-68-66-63-64-59-68-64-65-68-67-00-00-00-00-43-45-48-46
53-55-58-57-63-65-39-47-73-74-68-66-72-63-49-67-00-00-00-00-12-13-87-86-22
23-77-76-32-33-67-66-42-43-57-56-00-00-00-00-33-35-38-36-43-45-48-47-53-55
58-56-63-64-59-57-72-63-39-58-63-72-58-37-00-00-00-00-43-45-48-46-53-54-58
57-63-65-68-66-00-00-00-00-33-35-38-36-53-55-58-56-62-53-48-47-42-33-59-57
52-42-39-58-42-52-58-37-00-00-00-05-35-55-85-75-25-40-00-00-00-01-21-38-78
62-22-37-77-63-23-36-76-64-24-35-75-60-00-00-00-06-36-56-86-65-35-55-85-67
37-47-87-77-25-45-95-76-27-26-96-87-26-24-95-80-00-00-00-06-36-56-86-75-35
54-84-64-34-55-85-77-26-33-94-70-00-00-00-07-37-47-87-76-36-46-86-65-35-45
85-77-47-54-96-76-46-57-96-85-45-00-00-00-00-33-35-38-37-35-36-48-46-53-55
58-57-55-56-46-45-63-65-78-77-73-75-49-38-75-76-00-00-00-00-33-35-78-76-53
55-58-56-63-65-38-37-43-45-37-36-73-75

I think the numbers represents syllables

Hi,
are you sure this is right? Near the beginning of the 5th row, there are seven zeroes instead of eight. Also, if you insert an extra zero there, the total number of digits (whitespace excluded) is still one less of a multiple of eight, as if another digit was missing.

It might be helpful to state other assumptions that you take for granted between you and your student, such as in which language is the text.

Hi,
are you sure this is right? Near the beginning of the 5th row, there are seven zeroes instead of eight. Also, if you insert an extra zero there, the total number of digits (whitespace excluded) is still one less of a multiple of eight, as if another digit was missing.

It might be helpful to state other assumptions that you take for granted between you and your student, such as in which language is the text.
Well the text is written in english if that can help.

43454846-63656866-72635857-00000000-73757876-63646866-53
54585652-74897772-63795700-00000012-13878622-23777632-33
67664243-57560000-00004345-48465355-39475556-68664345-48
46535539-47555668-66636459-68646568-67000000-00434548-46
53555857-63653947-73746866-72634967-00000000-12138786-22
23777632-33676642-43575600-00000033-35383643-45484753-55
58566364-59577263-39586372-58370000-00004345-48465354-58
57636568-66000000-00333538-36535558-56625348-47423359-57
52423958-42525837-00000005-35558575-25400000-00012138-78
62223777-63233676-64243575-60000000-06365686-65355585-67
37478777-25459576-27269687-26249580-00000006-36568675-35
54846434-55857726-33947000-00000737-47877636-46866535-45
85774754-96764657-96854500-00000033-35383735-36484653-55
58575556-46456365-78777375-49387576-00000000-33357876-53
55585663-65383743-45373673-75

I don´t know... could be anything... I followed the hint separating in sets of 8 elements, and everu set ends with a 2 lenght number becuse you posted the cyphered text with separated parts by space

In fact, it is improbable that every set of 8 elements represents a word, since there is to many words with exactly 8 letters, but we don't know if every number with 2 elements representes a letter, since the alphabet has only 26 letters and there is numbers such like 96. Could be a cypher such that more than one number represents a letter. Some sets of numbers are most common:

43-45-48-46-63-65-68-66-72-63-58-57-00-00-00-00-73-75-78-76-63-64-68-66-53
54-58-56-52-74-89-77-72-63-79-57-00-00-00-00-12-13-87-86-22-23-77-76-32-33
67-66-42-43-57-56-00-00-00-00-43-45-48-46-53-55-39-47-55-56-68-66-43-45-48
46
-53-55-39-47-55-56-68-66-63-64-59-68-64-65-68-67-00-00-00-00-43-45-48-46
53-55-58-57-63-65-39-47-73-74-68-66-72-63-49-67-00-00-00-00-12-13-87-86-22
23-77-76-32-33-67-66-42-43-57-56-00-00-00-00-33-35-38-36-43-45-48-47-53-55
58-56-63-64-59-57-72-63-39-58-63-72-58-37-00-00-00-00-43-45-48-46-53-54-58
57-63-65-68-66-00-00-00-00-33-35-38-36-53-55-58-56-62-53-48-47-42-33-59-57
52-42-39-58-42-52-58-37-00-00-00-05-35-55-85-75-25-40-00-00-00-01-21-38-78
62-22-37-77-63-23-36-76-64-24-35-75-60-00-00-00-06-36-56-86-65-35-55-85-67
37-47-87-77-25-45-95-76-27-26-96-87-26-24-95-80-00-00-00-06-36-56-86-75-35
54-84-64-34-55-85-77-26-33-94-70-00-00-00-07-37-47-87-76-36-46-86-65-35-45
85-77-47-54-96-76-46-57-96-85-45-00-00-00-00-33-35-38-37-35-36-48-46-53-55
58-57-55-56-46-45-63-65-78-77-73-75-49-38-75-76-00-00-00-00-33-35-78-76-53
55-58-56-63-65-38-37-43-45-37-36-73-75

I think the numbers represents syllables
That maybe true... but i don't thing he would give such a hint... i think the eight hint is a litte more complicated than that... Do you have another theory regarding the hint?

Interesting set of numbers...

My observations, don't know if they will help or not:

0
There are 119 zeros. 14 sets of 8, 1 set of 7 (someone questioned if this was a mistake?)

1
There are only 6 ones. They follow a very strange pattern, only appearing in the sequence "1213" at the end of certain sets of 0's

2
There are 37 twos. there are never just 2 consecutive twos, without a third. And this happens only three times.

3
There are 98. These seem to be very well spread out. There are never more than 3 in a row.

4
There are 70. There are never two in a row... but follow somewhat of a curious patter usually 4, number, 4 number, 4, number... like the beginning 4345484.. this same pattern happens 6 times.

5
The most common. There are 125. These seem to be very well spread out. There are never more than 3 in a row.

6
There are 110. These seem to be very well spread out. There are never more than 3 in a row -- but this happens only once.

7
There are 87 sevens. These seem to be very well spread out. There are never more than 3 in a row.

8
The clue! There are 56 of them. There are never more than one of them, like the 4s.

9
There are 18 nines. Again there are never more than 1 of them in a row.

That's all I have.

43-45-48-46-63-65-68-66-72-63-58-57-00-00-00-00-73-75-78-76-63-64-68-66-53
54-58-56-52-74-89-77-72-63-79-57-00-00-00-00-12-13-87-86-22-23-77-76-32-33
67-66-42-43-57-56-00-00-00-00-43-45-48-46-53-55-39-47-55-56-68-66-43-45-48
46
-53-55-39-47-55-56-68-66-63-64-59-68-64-65-68-67-00-00-00-00-43-45-48-46
53-55-58-57-63-65-39-47-73-74-68-66-72-63-49-67-00-00-00-00-12-13-87-86-22
23-77-76-32-33-67-66-42-43-57-56-00-00-00-00-33-35-38-36-43-45-48-47-53-55
58-56-63-64-59-57-72-63-39-58-63-72-58-37-00-00-00-00-43-45-48-46-53-54-58
57-63-65-68-66-00-00-00-00-33-35-38-36-53-55-58-56-62-53-48-47-42-33-59-57
52-42-39-58-42-52-58-37-00-00-00-05-35-55-85-75-25-40-00-00-00-01-21-38-78
62-22-37-77-63-23-36-76-64-24-35-75-60-00-00-00-06-36-56-86-65-35-55-85-67
37-47-87-77-25-45-95-76-27-26-96-87-26-24-95-80-00-00-00-06-36-56-86-75-35
54-84-64-34-55-85-77-26-33-94-70-00-00-00-07-37-47-87-76-36-46-86-65-35-45
85-77-47-54-96-76-46-57-96-85-45-00-00-00-00-33-35-38-37-35-36-48-46-53-55
58-57-55-56-46-45-63-65-78-77-73-75-49-38-75-76-00-00-00-00-33-35-78-76-53
55
-58-56-63-65-38-37-43-45-37-36-73-75

there are 362 2-lenght numbers, and the only numbers in use are:

00, 01, 05, 06, 07

12, 13

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27

32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39

40, 42, 43, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49

52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59

60, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68

70, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79

80, 84, 85, 86, 87, 89

94, 95, 96

if the number representes syllabes, one of then must be "a", and other "the", and other "that", most common in english

Last edited:
the zeros I think could be nulls to confuse

the sequences

00-00-00-00-12-13-87-86-22-23-77-76-32-33-67-66-42-43-57-56-00-00-00-00
and
00-00-00-06-36-56-86

appears twice

Hi,
are you sure this is right? Near the beginning of the 5th row, there are seven zeroes instead of eight. Also, if you insert an extra zero there, the total number of digits (whitespace excluded) is still one less of a multiple of eight, as if another digit was missing.

It might be helpful to state other assumptions that you take for granted between you and your student, such as in which language is the text.
I second this. I really think there is something odd, if not wrong here. Can you double check with your student that this is correct?

separated by zeros sequences, we see some patherns, but I cannot say anything better than conjectures

43-45-48-46-63-65-68-66-72-63-58-57

-00-00-00-00-

73-75-78-76-63-64-68-66-53-54-58-56-52-74-89-77-72-63-79-57

-00-00-00-00-

12-13-87-86-22-23-77-76-32-33-67-66-42-43-57-56

-00-00-00-00-

43-45-48-46-53-55-39-47-55-56-68-66-43-45-48-46-53-55-39-47-55-56-68-66-63-64-59-68-64-65-68-67

-00-00-00-00-

43-45-48-46-53-55-58-57-63-65-39-47-73-74-68-66-72-63-49-67

-00-00-00-00-

12-13-87-86-22-23-77-76-32-33-67-66-42-43-57-56

-00-00-00-00-

33-35-38-36-43-45-48-47-53-55-58-56-63-64-59-57-72-63-39-58-63-72-58-37

-00-00-00-00-

43-45-48-46-53-54-58-57-63-65-68-66

-00-00-00-00-

33-35-38-36-53-55-58-56-62-53-48-47-42-33-59-57-52-42-39-58-42-52-58-37

-00-00-00-

05-35-55-85-75-25-40

-00-00-00-

01-21-38-78-62-22-37-77-63-23-36-76-64-24-35-75-60

-00-00-00-

06-36-56-86-65-35-55-85-67-37-47-87-77-25-45-95-76-27-26-96-87-26-24-95-80

-00-00-00-

06-36-56-86-75-35-54-84-64-34-55-85-77-26-33-94-70

-00-00-00-

07-37-47-87-76-36-46-86-65-35-45-85-77-47-54-96-76-46-57-96-85-45

-00-00-00-00-

33-35-38-37-35-36-48-46-53-55-58-57-55-56-46-45-63-65-78-77-73-75-49-38-75-76

-00-00-00-00-

33-35-78-76-53-55-58-56-63-65-38-37-43-45-37-36-73-75

al-mahed--

Separate by zero sequences, but when you get to the sequence with only 7 zeros isolate the 5 and keep going...

Like this:
43 45 48 46 63 65 68 66 72 63 58 57 00000000

73 75 78 76 63 64 68 66 53 54 58 56 52 74 89 77 72 63 79 57 00000000

12 13 87 86 22 23 77 76 32 33 67 66 42 43 57 56 00000000

43 45 48 46 53 55 39 47 55 56 68 66 43 45 48 46 53 55 39 47 55 56 68 66 63 64 59 68 64 65 68 67 00000000

43 45 48 46 53 55 58 57 63 65 39 47 73 74 68 66 72 63 49 67 00000000

12 13 87 86 22 23 77 76 32 33 67 66 42 43 57 56 00000000

33 35 38 36 43 45 48 47 53 55 58 56 63 64 59 57 72 63 39 58 63 72 58 37 00000000

43 45 48 46 53 54 58 57 63 65 68 66 00000000

33 35 38 36 53 55 58 56 62 53 48 47 42 33 59 57 52 42 39 58 42 52 58 37 0000000

53 55 58 57 52 54 00000000

12 13 87 86 22 23 77 76 32 33 67 66 42 43 57 56 00000000

63 65 68 66 53 55 58 56 73 74 78 77 72 54 59 57 62 72 69 68 72 62 49 58 00000000

63 65 68 67 53 55 48 46 43 45 58 57 72 63 39 47 00000000

73 74 78 77 63 64 68 66 53 54 58 57 74 75 49 67 64 65 79 68 54 5 00000000

33 35 38 37 35 36 48 46 53 55 58 57 55 56 46 45 63 65 78 77 73 75 49 38 75 76 00000000

33 35 78 76 53 55 58 56 63 65 38 37 43 45 37 36 73 75

Why do you think there is no number with 0?

43 45 48 46 63 65 68 66 72 63 58 57 00000000

73 75 78 76 63 64 68 66 53 54 58 56 52 74 89 77 72 63 79 57 00000000

12 13 87 86 22 23 77 76 32 33 67 66 42 43 57 56 00000000

43 45 48 46 53 55 39 47 55 56 68 66 43 45 48 46 53 55 39 47 55 56 68 66 63 64 59 68 64 65 68 67 00000000

43 45 48 46 53 55 58 57 63 65 39 47 73 74 68 66 72 63 49 67 00000000

12 13 87 86 22 23 77 76 32 33 67 66 42 43 57 56 00000000

33 35 38 36 43 45 48 47 53 55 58 56 63 64 59 57 72 63 39 58 63 72 58 37 00000000

43 45 48 46 53 54 58 57 63 65 68 66 00000000

33 35 38 36 53 55 58 56 62 53 48 47 42 33 59 57 52 42 39 58 42 52 58 37 0000000

53 55 58 57 52 54 00000000

12 13 87 86 22 23 77 76 32 33 67 66 42 43 57 56 00000000

63 65 68 66 53 55 58 56 73 74 78 77 72 54 59 57 62 72 69 68 72 62 49 58 00000000

63 65 68 67 53 55 48 46 43 45 58 57 72 63 39 47 00000000

73 74 78 77 63 64 68 66 53 54 58 57 74 75 49 67 64 65 79 68 54 5 00000000

33 35 38 37 35 36 48 46 53 55 58 57 55 56 46 45 63 65 78 77 73 75 49 38 75 76 00000000

33 35 78 76 53 55 58 56 63 65 38 37 43 45 37 36 73 75[/QUOTE]

Honestly, it is a gut feeling.
I think this whole thing amounts to one sentence with the sequences of zeros are the spaces between words.

I think this text is a poem or lyrics of a song, and the lenght of the zeros string denote the numbers of words in the sentence... the strucute suggest this conjecture, sentences repeated, combination of numbers that suggest rhymes, etc

Honestly, it is a gut feeling.
I think this whole thing amounts to one sentence with the sequences of zeros are the spaces between words.

if so then
43 45 48 46 53 55 39 47 55 56 68 66 43 45 48 46 53 55 39 47 55 56 68 66 63 64 59 68 64 65 68 67

must be a word, and if this is a word and the hint is about sillables, every set of 8 numbers denote a sillable, and the owrd above has 4 sillables

43 45 48 46 53 55 39 47 55 56 68 66 43 45 48 46 53 55 39 47 55 56 68 66 63 64 59 68 64 65 68 67

but the problem is: we dont see the sillables like these ones repeated in the text, and it is a little bit strange a text without ant sillable repeated

in the other hand, there are 724 numbers, and 8 do not divides 724

Last edited:
in the other hand, there are 724 numbers, and 8 do not divides 724
I count 726 digits. My speculation is that there is a missing zero as indicated before, and another missing digit, possibly within the sequence 7374787763646866535458577475496764657968545 (end of 6th row and beginning of the 7th), which is the only sequence between zeros with an odd number of digits (43). The extra zero and the extra digit would add up to 728, which is divisible by 8.

P.S.: If (big if) the total digits were 728, then it adds evidence to the idea that every 8 digits compose (somehow) a letter, the 8 zeroes being spaces between words. Words coming out this way have a reasonable average length. My (further) speculation is that the first and 8th words are the word "THE", 43454846 standing for the letter "T", but the code is position-dependent: the combination of 8 digits *and* the letter position (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th... letter of the text) would combine to decode a letter. (Comment edited.)

Last edited:
These is the numbers used in the chypher considering:

1 - the chypher consists in 2-lenght numbers

2 - the cyphered text is not complete, and I fill the blanks as dodo and diffy suggest, but the alone 5 in the 14-th row I cannot say for sure what is the missing digit... my guess is that the missing digit is an 8, being 58 the last element in the 14-th row

So we have the table below

12 13

22 23

32 33 35 36 37 38 39

42 43 45 46 47 48 49

52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59

62 63 64 65 66 67 68

72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79

86 87 89

and the relative frequencies below

Code:
12,00	13,00	22,00	23,00	32,00	33,00	35,00	36,00	37,00	38,00	39,00	42,00	43,00	45,00	46,00	47,00	48,00	49,00	52,00	53,00	54,00	55,00	56,00	57,00	58,00	59,00	62,00	63,00	64,00	65,00	66,00	67,00	68,00	72,00	73,00	74,00	75,00	76,00	77,00	78,00	79,00	86,00	87,00	89,00
0,99%	0,99%	0,99%	0,99%	0,99%	2,65%	1,66%	1,32%	1,66%	1,66%	1,99%	1,99%	3,64%	2,98%	2,65%	1,99%	2,98%	1,32%	1,32%	4,64%	1,99%	4,30%	3,64%	4,64%	5,63%	1,32%	0,99%	5,63%	1,99%	2,98%	3,64%	2,32%	4,30%	2,98%	1,99%	1,66%	1,66%	1,99%	2,32%	1,66%	0,66%	0,99%	0,99%	0,33%

I did search a lot, but I didin't find any material regarding the frequency of sillables in english... If anyone knows about something...

seycyrus
I might be misremembering things slightly, but this always serves me well when I do the cryptograms in the paper.

E T A O N R I S H

Err, forgive me, you said syllables, not vowels or consonants. :)

well u could try 2 maybe be helpful instead of making fun of people ! ;)

seycyrus
well u could try 2 maybe be helpful instead of making fun of people ! ;)
Me? I wasn't trying to poke fun. I'm actually learning how people analyze these types of sequences, just by sitting back an watching this thread develop.

Mk
Me? I wasn't trying to poke fun. I'm actually learning how people analyze these types of sequences, just by sitting back an watching this thread develop.
Me too, I'd like to see it solved right here.

CRGreathouse