39 replies to this topic

[octopuppy]

While you're still puzzling over the algorithm to Game 7, here's a bit of fun that occurred to me while doing the same. Rather than the mean unsolvable algorithm I was threatening, this should be a piece of fluff which will no doubt be solved rather quickly. But it contains a couple of ideas which I thought were quite cute, so I couldn't resist doing it.


One player plays the Evil Mastermind (that's me) who nukes the states of the USA 3 at a time, the other players play Hackers who seek to stop the Evil Mastermind. The Evil Mastermind plays by posting commands which activate missile strikes. Each command has a unique password, which is derived from the command by a hashing algorithm. The Evil Mastermind devises a different algorithm at the start of each game, and posts the passwords along with the commands. The Hackers will see the commands and passwords and from this they should try to deduce the hashing algorithm. The Hacker who does this first, and correctly figures out the password to the command "ABORT", stops the Evil Mastermind and wins the game. Anyone can join in at any time as a Hacker.

Now hashing algorithms can be exceedingly difficult to crack, but there are restrictions placed on the kind of algorithm that the Evil Mastermind can use:

Spoiler for Hashing algorithm rules

1) What it is
The Evil Mastermind must be able to derive an alphanumeric password of fixed length from any word (password length 8 characters or less, you choose). It doesn't have to be a cipher in the sense that it can be decrypted to the original word, indeed the fixed length makes that impossible.

2) Simplicity
You must be able to do it in your head, with no external aids, in 40 seconds or less. You may look at the word you are hashing but you should not have to look at the previous letters of the password, since real-life passwords are generally shown as ***** as you type (although you may use previous letters as far as your memory can handle it). It's up to you to ensure that you can do all this. A really classy algorithm is one which fulfils this condition better (quick and easy to perform, in other words).

3) No memory feats
Although it is quite possible to hold an alphabetic substitution table in your head, and apply it quickly, I'll rule this out because in conjunction with other techniques it's too difficult to crack. Any technique that requires a large amount of information to be memorised in advance is not allowed. Caesar ciphers with a large shift may fall into that category.

4) Consistency
This is a matter of good sportsmanship. For example, since "ABORT" is the target word, you can't have a rule that comes into play only when the sequence "BOR" occurs. All rules should be general enough that they come into play in either one third of the clues posted at any given time, or 10 clues posted. The algorithm should not be geared toward the specific commands used in this game, but should work on any word.

Commands
There are 51 commands, these being the names of US states (used by the Evil Mastermind to nuke another state), plus the word "ABORT" (used by hackers to stop the Evil Mastermind).

Spoiler for List of commands

Commands and passwords are all uppercase.
ABORT
ALABAMA
ALASKA
ARIZONA
ARKANSAS
CALIFORNIA
COLORADO
CONNECTICUT
DELAWARE
FLORIDA
GEORGIA
HAWAII
IDAHO
ILLINOIS
INDIANA
IOWA
KANSAS
KENTUCKY
LOUISIANA
MAINE
MARYLAND
MASSACHUSETTS
MICHIGAN
MINNESOTA
MISSISSIPPI
MISSOURI
MONTANA
NEBRASKA
NEVADA
NEWHAMPSHIRE
NEWJERSEY
NEWMEXICO
NEWYORK
NORTHCAROLINA
NORTHDAKOTA
OHIO
OKLAHOMA
OREGON
PENNSYLVANIA
RHODEISLAND
SOUTHCAROLINA
SOUTHDAKOTA
TENNESSEE
TEXAS
UTAH
VERMONT
VIRGINIA
WASHINGTON
WESTVIRGINIA
WISCONSIN
WYOMING

Game Play
The Evil Mastermind posts 3 commands at a time, with their passwords. The interval for doing this is undefined, no point in imposing restrictions. The Evil Mastermind chooses the commands, but should generally do requests as soon as possible.
Each Hacker may make one guess at the password for "ABORT" each time the Evil Mastermind posts commands. If someone makes multiple guesses in between clues, only the first one counts, but if they make a mistake and correct it, the Evil Mastermind can accept the correction.
There is no need for spoilers when guessing the password, although please use spoilers if you reveal the algorithm.

The first one to get the password for "ABORT" wins.

P.S. Alternatively if you've cracked the algorithm you can just use it to blow up more states if you're that way inclined (**per original Evil Mastermind's rules!)

Spoiler for This game thread continues the tradition of the other games but it is not directly related to any of them. You can check the other challenges here:

Game 1 - Host: octopuppy - Winner: fabpig
Game 2 - Host: octopuppy - Winner: araver
Game 3 - Host: araver - Winner: octopuppy
Game 4 - Host: dawh - Winner: octopuppy
Game 5 - Host: octopuppy - Winner: Vineetrika / araver,
Game 6 - Host: Vineetrika - Winner: octopuppy
Game 7 - Host araver - Winner: octopuppy

Update
49 states down, only 1 to go! Last chance to stop me going the distance...

Here are the clues so far:


ALABAMA
EOEDBQCB

ALASKA
EOEWMBDM

ARKANSAS
DVMBQVEW

CALIFORNIA
FEOLJSTO

COLORADO
DPNQSDEP

CONNECTICUT
EQOQGEXM

DELAWARE
GGPCZETH

FLORIDA
JORVMGEH

GEORGIA
KFPUKMCH

HAWAII
KEXDLLLC

IDAHO
JFBKRLED

ILLINOIS
JNPMPQKU

INDIANA
LRGLEPBJ

IOWA
LRYBJPAC

KANSAS
NEPUBTNE

KENTUCKY
OFQUVDNC

LOUISIANA
MPVJTJDR

MAINE
NDLRFQCK

MARYLAND
PETZNBQE

MASSACHUSETTS
QCUUBDKX

MICHIGAN
OKEIJJEP

MINNESOTA
OKOQGUQX

MISSISSIPPI
QMWWMWWM

MISSOURI
QMWWSYTK

MONTANA
OQOVBQEN

NEBRASKA
RFEVCULD

NEVADA
RFXBFBQG

NEWHAMPSHIRE
PHYIDOTW

NEWJERSEY
RFANFUVG

NEWMEXICO
QGZOHYJD

NEWYORK
RFAAQSNR

NORTHCAROLINA
RSTXJEBU

NORTHDAKOTA
RSTXJHCL

OHIO
PKLRRLMS

OKLAHOMA
ROOEJQPE

OREGON
RVFJRRST

PENNSYLVANIA
QIPOTBMX

RHODEISLAND
SKREIMWO

SOUTHCAROLINA
VRXUKFET

SOUTHDAKOTA
VRXUKEDO

TENNESSEE
WGOQGUUH

TEXAS
VHYDVUIA

UTAH
XUDLYWEJ

VERMONT
ZFUOQOVZ

VIRGINIA
WJUKMPKB

WASHINGTON
YBTKLRIX

WESTVIRGINIA
YHVUXKSJ

WISCONSIN
YKUEQOTJ

WYOMING
YZPQMPHA

[octopuppy]

And away we go

CONNECTICUT
EQOQGEXM

ILLINOIS
JNPMPQKU

KENTUCKY
OFQUVDNC

[araver]

No clue so far...

Can we get the little ones? UTAH, IOWA, OHIO? (If there's no one around that is).

EDIT: If anyone has other choices, please do

Edited by araver, 28 November 2010 - 12:56 AM.

[plainglazed]

how 'bout - Alaska, Alabama, Kansas, Arkansas - KABOOM!

[octopuppy]

Here you go...

IOWA
LRYBJPAC

OHIO
PKLRRLMS

UTAH
XUDLYWEJ

...and that's all from me for tonight

EDIT: Oh, just saw plainglazed's requests. Well maybe I'll do those too.

[octopuppy]

Only 3 at a time, so I'll give you Alaska in the morning if nobody's aborted me in the meantime!

ALABAMA
EOEDBQCB

ARKANSAS
DVMBQVEW

KANSAS
NEPUBTNE

[octopuppy]

I'm back! Maybe these will help...

ALASKA
EOEWMBDM

NEVADA
RFXBFBQG

NEWYORK
RFAAQSNR

I kind of wish I was on the other end of this one. I think it would be fun to solve, I really do.

[octopuppy]

FLORIDA
JORVMGEH

LOUISIANA
MPVJTJDR

MINNESOTA
OKOQGUQX

[wolfgang]

I noticed this( it may help!)
see the code for Connecticut.......EQOQGEXM
and the code for Minnesota.........OKOQGUQX
both have(after the first two letters)three common letters(OQG)which may have a connection to
(nne)in both States.

[octopuppy]

NEBRASKA
RFEVCULD

PENNSYLVANIA
QIPOTBMX

WASHINGTON
YBTKLRIX