North Carolina Science Olympiad — Code Busters
2016-2017
Names of participants: (Please print neatly)
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
School Name: ______________________________________________________
School ID Number: __________________________________________________
Warning: Do not open this packet until given permission to do so.
Note : there are useful notes on the back of this page
Scoring:
Time to solve first problem in seconds: _________________________________
Question
Timed
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Total
Bonus
Final Score
Value
100
100
140
250
300
100
60
160
180
250
100
180
100
125
50
100
400
250
400
Incorrect letters
Score
The following tables might be useful during the event.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
0
A
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
B
1
B
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
C
2
C
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
D
3
D
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
E
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
F
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
E
G
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
E
F
H
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
E
4
F
5
G
6
H
7
I
8
I
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
J
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
K
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
L
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
M
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
N
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
O
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
P
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
Q
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
S
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
T
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
U
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
V
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
W
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
X
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
Y
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Z
Z
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Frequency Table of English letters:
E
T
A
O
I
N
12.51%
9.25%
8.04%
7.60%
7.26%
7.09%
S
R
H
L
D
6.54%
6.12%
5.49%
4.14%
3.99%
C
U
M
F
P
3.06%
2.71%
2.53%
2.30%
2.00%
G
W
Y
B
V
1.96%
1.92%
1.73%
1.54%
0.99%
K
X
J
Q
Z
0.67%
0.19%
0.16%
0.11%
0.09%
M 3.08%
P 2.89%
B 1.49%
H 1.18%
Q 1.11%
Y
V
G
F
J
1.09%
1.05%
1.00%
0.69%
0.52%
Z
Ñ
X
K
W
0.47%
0.17%
0.14%
0.11%
0.04%
Frequency Table of Spanish letters:
E
A
O
S
N
R
14.08%
12.16%
9.20%
7.20%
6.83%
6.41%
I
L
D
T
U
C
5.98%
5.24%
4.67%
4.60%
4.69%
3.87%
For the purposes of cryptograms it is customary to treat n and ñ as distinct letters, but a and á are the same
letter. Likewise for e and é, and i and í. In other words, all the accent marks get amputated when working
with cryptograms. Also, while some older Spanish dictionaries consider ch, ll, and rr, to be their own
letters—this has fallen out of modern usage. Accordingly, “burro” is considered as five letters: “b-u-r-r-o” and
not as four letters “b-u-rr-o.”
Timed question [100 Points]: Solve this Cryptogram which is a quote by Tony Robbins. When you have
solved it, raise your hand so that the time can be recorded and the solution checked.
JA JO JE SFLH NFNDEAO FG TDVJOJFE ARKA SFLH
TDOAJES JO ORKWDT.
A
Freq 5
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
4 4 5 1 2
I
J
K
L
7 2 2
M N
O
2 6
P
Q
R
S
T
2 3 3
U
V W X
1 1
Y
Z
1) [100 Points] Solve this Cryptogram which is a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt
VNI FIJQ CN QTA QTPUDJ VNI QTPUG VNI SHUUNQ CN.
A
B
Freq 1
C
D
E
2 1
F
G H
I
J
K
L
1 1 1 4 2
M N O
6
P
Q R
2 5
S
T
U
V W X
Y
Z
1 3 4 3
2) [140 Points] Solve this Cryptogram which is a quote by the poet/essayist/journalist Walt Whitman.
PNNA VLTI RZQN ZFKZVG CLKZIM CBN GTUGBOUN - ZUM GBZMLKG
KOFF RZFF JNBOUM VLT.
A
B
C
Freq 1 4 2
D
E
F
G H
5 5
I
J
K
L
M N O
P
Q R
2 1 4 4 4 6 3 1 1 2
S
T
U
V W X
3 4 3
Y
Z
7
3) [250 Points] Solve this Cryptogram which is sage advice by Laurence J. Peter.
NYLNAQ: O WOK DCF WOUNB QCANN ZFAANZQ
VRNBBNB ZFKBNZRQSTNJI.
A
B
C
D
E
Freq 4 5 2 1
F
G H
3
I
J
K
L
M N O
1 1 2 1
10 3
P
Q R
S
T
U
V W X
4 2 1 1 1 1 2
Y
Z
1 4
4) [300 Points] Solve this Cryptogram which is a quote by Lily Tomlin.
V BYOBRX OBAGDN GU ZD XUEDZUNR, ZTG AUO V CDBYVQD
V XPUTYN PBID ZDDA EUCD XWDFVKVF.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G H
Freq 3 5 2 10 2 2 3
I
1
J
K
1
L
M N O
P
Q R
3 3 2 1 2
S
T
U
V W X
Y
Z
2 6 6 1 4 3 4
5) [100 Points] Encode the string MICROBEMISSION using the Affine Cipher with a=7 and b=9.
Answer: ____________________________________________
6) [60 Points] You know that a message has been encrypted using the Affine Cipher with an alphabet of 26
characters. You have discovered that the message RHMZWB decodes to say PLANET. What are the values of a
and b in the function ax + b that were used to encode the message?
a=___________ b= ___________
7) [160 Points] Another message encrypted with the Affine Cipher using an alphabet of 26 characters has been
intercepted. You have been told that the last two characters of the message are the letters AM. With that
knowledge, what does this message say?
UGKXLJCPCNIPCUKM
Answer: ____________________________________________
8) [180 Points] Solve this cipher which quotes Helen Keller. The second word is BEST and the last word is
HEART.
HSDMD CHWYN LZCHM DWTHO VTEHS OYRCO YHSDP ZAENI WYYZH
MDCDD YZADJ DYHZT ISDNH SDBLT CHMDV DEHPO HSHSD SDWAH
A
B
C
D
E
Freq 3 1 5 15 3
F
G H
I
J
14 2 1
K
L
M N O
P
2 4 3 4 2
Q R
S
T
1 8 4
U
V W X
Y
2 4
7 5
Z
9) [250 Points] Solve this Spanish proverb Cryptogram.
OF YJIJT J ZFT FNPFT ZF ADG OF BGTGJT MJPJ NQ.
A
B
Freq 1 1
C
D
1
E
F
G H
6 3
I
J
K
L
1 6
M N
Ñ O
1 2
P
Q R
2 2 1
10) [100 Points] Your teacher has this sign on the wall. What does it say?
donTworrYbEhappY
Answer: ____________________________________________
S
T
5
U
V W X
Y
Z
1 2
11) [180 Points] Sir Arthur Conan Doyle once said this. What did he say?
therEiSnothinGmorEdeceptivEthaNaN
obviouSfacT
Answer: ____________________________________________
12) [100 Points] Using a key of XYAR encode the string FOODBORNE using the Hill Cipher with a 26 character
alphabet. e.g.
 X Y   23 24 

  

 A R   0 17 
F
O
O
D
B
O
R
N
E
13) [125 Points] Using a key of TABXVTBOO encode the string ENDOCRINESYSTEM using the Hill Cipher
with a 26 character alphabet. e.g.
 T A B   19 0 1 

 

 X V T    23 21 19 
 B O O   1 14 14 

 

E
N
D
O
C
R
I
N
E
S
Y
S
T
E
M
14) [50 Points] Using a code word of SECRET, encode the following sentence using the Vigenère cipher.
POSITIVE ANYTHING IS BETTER THAN NEGATIVE NOTHING.
Answer:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
15) [100 Points] In The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle said this about a treasure. It has
been encoded using the Vigenère cipher using the name of a country. You have been told that the 15th through
the 22nd letters in the code (RZXADSZX) actually is the word TREASURE . What doe the message decode
to?
EAEYN MHPWC JNRJR ZXADS ZXNZU IWAJQ BAEJB WBTTL BAEAM AMOQD QVEMY VD.
Answer:
_________________________________________________________________________________________
16) [400 Points] Solve this cryptogram.
OQDYO HSLYC ORSTC ZHSLO HYGFN HBYGY TSDYH ZOQBS YLYRZ
HFNHB YGYTS DYHZF YOHZH BYDT
A
Freq
B
C
D
4 2 4
E
F
G H
3 3 10
I
J
K
L
M N O
3
2 6
P
Q R
S
T
2 2 6 4
U
V W X
Y
Z
13 5
17) [250 Points] Solve this Patristrocrat containing a quote by Jim Rohn. In it, you will find the words
SOMETHING and THE at least twice each.
MFCCP BYTTP TBJST JZYSM PBAVJ KCJTS CJBYR JWSMY RKSKW YPSPT
TJZYS MPBAV JKGYT PABRJ WSMYC WYTYB S
A
B
C
D
E
Freq 3 7 5
F
G H
I
1 1
J
K
L
9 4
M N O
P
5
7
Q R
S
T
U
3 9 9
V W X
2 4
Y
Z
10 2
18) [400 Points] Your phone badly misheard this quote from Albert Einstein and misheard a few words before
encrypting it. What does it say?
BFCVY VX QP TPKVMGT IGJ BIP BFC ZVXMPOCYJ PH BFCXVX CTCDCQBGT TGIX.
BFCYC VX PQTJ BFC IGJ PH VQBLVBVPQ, IVBMF VX FCTNCZ RJ G HCCTVQK
HPY BFC PZPY TJVQK RCC FVQZ BFC GNNCGYGQMC.
A
Freq
B
C
D
12 20 1
E
F
G H
I
J
K
L
M N O
P
Q R
10 9 4 5 6 3 1 4 3 1 11 9 2
S
T
9
U
V W X
14
Y
Z
7 6 4