Solve Bob's Granny's Old Cipher Mystery

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around deciphering an old cipher found in a box by Bob, which contains encrypted messages believed to be used by his grandmother. The main focus is on understanding the principles of the cipher, which involves dividing the code into two parts corresponding to pre-order and in-order traversals of a binary tree, and then reading it in reverse post-order.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Bob's grandmother describes the cipher's principle, stating that the code should be divided into two equal parts that contain the same letters.
  • Participants discuss the implications of the cipher's structure, particularly the relationship between the pre-order and in-order traversals of a binary tree.
  • Some participants express confusion about the specific steps required to decode the message and the significance of the reverse post-order reading.
  • There is mention of a potential ambiguity in the case of repeated letters, which Bob's grandmother notes was addressed with a different code in the past.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants appear to have varying levels of understanding regarding the cipher's mechanics, and there is no consensus on how to proceed with the decryption process. Some express confusion while others attempt to clarify the steps involved.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the limitations of the information provided, particularly the lack of clarity on how to construct the binary tree from the given parts of the code and the specific method for reading it in reverse post-order.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for those interested in cryptography, binary tree structures, and problem-solving in mathematical contexts.

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Bob has found in his granny's cellar an old box with strange messages inside. Most of them are almost unreadable since the paper is very old. His granny is very happy since she believed this box was lost. she remembers when she was a student in mathematics, she was using a secret cipher to correspond with her boyfriend. The box contains some encrypted messages. One of the messages is still readable: IEHMTALVOHETMAIVLOBob is fascinated and asks his granny to decrypt it, but the old lady only accepts to explain him the main principle of the cipher: `` if you want to read it you must deserve it’’, she said. ``But it is simple: divide the code into two equal parts and verify that both parts contain the same letters. The first part corresponds to a pre-order while the second corresponds to an in-order of a binary tree. Find the related binary tree and read it in reverse post-order.’’

After reading carefully the message she adds: You are lucky, here each letter occurs only once in each part. I remember we invented a specific code when there were several occurrences of the same letter with possible ambiguity.`Bob is quite confused and asks more details but she refuses to help him more. She still likes to play. Bob would like to understand well in order to use this cipher for sending messages to Alice. Can you help him understand this message?
 
Last edited:
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Erm...
HTAMEVOLI?
 
I like Serena said:
Erm...
HTAMEVOLI?
For the related binary tree, I get:
I
EL
HMVO
TA

They want the reverse post-order, so ILOVEMATH.
 
sadsadsadsa said:
Bob has found...

Enough time has passed that you may now post your solution. (Yes)
 

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