Da V.I.N.C.I.

Code
Various Interrogations oN Code Issues

Ecrypted messages, magic

squares, puzzles

This project has been funded with support from the European
Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors,
and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which
may be made of the information contained therein.

AIMS
ALTERNATIVES FOR INNOVATIVE MATH STUDY
AIMS- Alternatives for Innovative Maths Study is a two years long Comenius-eTwinning
project involving schools from seven European countries: France, Greece, Italy, the
Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain. The age of the participating students is 11-16.
The project is inspired from Gardner's theory on multiple intelligences and focused on
motivating and empowering pupils for studying Math by a student-centered approach.
The project aims at increasing students motivation and interest for the study of Math, with
special focus on low-achievers. The participating teachers will use the multiple intelligences
(MI) theory to discover and develop each student's particular skills, needs and interests,
differentiate and adapt the teaching methods to them. Students will actively create their
own learning materials for each type of MI and use motivating ICT tools. They will use
collaborative work, very uncommon in traditional Math classes.

Project Partners:
Scoala Gimnaziala nr. 195, Bucuresti-Romania. Teacher: Irina Vasilescu
Lycee Francois Bazin, Charleville Mezieres-France. Teacher: Nicolas Houpert
Liceo Classico Emanuele Duni, Matera-Italy. Teacher: Maria Teresa Asprella
Hervormd Lyceum West, Amsterdam- the Netherlands. Teacher: Erik Atsma
Instituto de Ensenanza Secundaria Alonso de Madrigal, vila-Spain. Teacher: Valentina Cuadrado
Marcos
Gimnazjum nr 3 im.Marszalka Jozefa Pilsudskiego w Myslenicach, Mylenice-Poland. Teacher:
Katarzyna Pietrzak
4o Geniko Lykeio Stavroupolis, Thessaloniki-Greece. Teacher: Anthoula Sofianopoulou-Karipidou
and Lazaros Kartalas

Bucharest codes

Encrypted messages

1. Simple Transposition code

Delete the punctuation. Write the text on two (or 3, or 4) lines of equal length
(alternate the letters), forming a grid. Then paste the lines one after the other.
Example:
Step 1.
MEMASNONEIDHODHRHIAEHMSBILATLN
ETETUDWBHNTELCUC!HVTEOTRLINPA!
TIKR
HNE
Step 2.
MEMASNONEIDHODHRHIAEHMSBILATLNETETUDWBHNTELCUC!H
VTEOTRLINPA!
TIKRHNE
Task 1: write a 48 letters message and encrypt it using the transposition code. How
many ways can you do it, if the lines have the same length?
Task 2. : You intercept the following message:
ASNEFOELBCVYNAWEEEOONASRNUTIYIEIDMT. Based on the number of
letters, how many ways of encoding it are there? Decode the message!
Task 3: Decipher this text:
tqcrnxmoraadhukofjpvttzoeibwousehlyg
Task 4. How many ways can you code a message of 37 letters? In order to code a
message with a prime number of letters you have to add dummy letters. Would 1
dummy letter be enough in this case? How about 2 letters?
2. The ATBASH code
The name ATBASH comes from Hebrew. It is an abbreviation of the Hebrew letters
Alef, Taw, Bet, and Shin. Alef is the first letter from the Hebrew alphabet, Taw the last.
Bet and Shin are the second and the second to the last letters. The name already shows

how you encrypt and decrypt texts with ATBASH; you substitute A with Z, B with Y,
etc.
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
Z Y X W V U T S R Q P O N M L K J I H G F E D C B A

Task: Encrypt your favourite theorem using the Atbash code!

3. The Caesar code
A substitution code is one in which letters are replaced by other letters. During Julius
Caesar's time, the Caesar cipher was thought to be unbreakable, which explains why he
used it. Remarkable is that in all of Caesar's encrypted texts he moved the alphabet by 3
places. For anyone who could have known this, it would have been easy as cake to read
his messages, but apparently that didn't bother anyone. Another very common method is
to move letters by 7 positions, as shown below:
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

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

Task 1: Decipher the following message, if the number of places in the shift is the square
of an even prime.
Xli Geiwev gshi ger fi qehi qsvi gsqtpmgexih fc lezmrk e hmjjivirx wlmjx jsv
hmjjivirx pixxivw
Task 2: Write a paragraph (5 lines) about your hobbies and encrypt it. The number used
for encoding should be the first even number bigger than the number of countries taking
part in AIMS.
Task 3: How many ways are there for coding this way?
Task 4: If the coded alphabet is not in the same order, then we have a substitution code.
How many different substitution ciphers can you find for an alphabet with only 3 letters?
For 4 letters? 5 letters? How about for our 26 letters alphabet?
4. The Vigenere code
The Vigenre cipher is a method of encrypting alphabetic text by using a series of
different Caesar ciphers based on the letters of a keyword. It is a simple form of
polyalphabetic substitution. For a long time it was considered a very strong code and it
was used during the American Civil War. It also has an interesting algebraic
interpretation: in order to cipher a text, take the first letter of the message and the first
letter of the key, add their value (letters have a value depending on their rank in the

alphabet, starting with 0). The result of the addition is divided by 26, and the remainder
of the division gives the rank of the ciphered letter.
In order to encrypt or decrypt a message in a simpler way, you need a key word. In order
to encrypt using Vigenere method, the easiest way is to have a double entry grid, such as
this one.

Example: Let the key be KEY, and the plain text DCODE.
One locates the first letter of the plain text message in the first line of the table and the
first letter of the key on the left column. The cipher letter is at the intersection.
One locates the letter D on the first row, and the letter K on the first column, the ciphered
letter is the intersection cell N.
One continues with the next letter of the plaintext, and the next letter of the key. When
arrived at the end of the key, go back to the first letter of the key.
NGMNI is the ciphered text.
To decode, do the opposite: locate the first letter of the key in the left column, and
locates on the row the first letter of the ciphered message. Then go up in the column to
read the first letter, it is the corresponding plain letter.
Task: Decode the following text using the key AIMS
Ocd hrwvwcb uk tpq teaf an btw wwddd!

5. The Pigpen Cipher

The pigpen cipher is a geometric simple substitution cipher,
which exchanges letters for symbols which are fragments of a
grid. The Pigpen cipher has been used in several works of
popular culture including Dan Brown's 2009 novel The Lost
Symbol. The example key shows one way the letters can be
assigned to the grid.
With this key, the message X marks the spot becomes

Task1: Fill in the blanks and encrypt the message:

A .is a number with just 2 divisors. The only .prime number is 2.
Task 2 Decode this message:

6. The Affine code

A multiplicative cipher codes each letter by multiplying its rank in the alphabet by a key
number A. A shift code adds a key number B to the rank of each letter, like the Caesar
code. The affine code is a combination of both. If the rank of a letter is x, the coder will
calculate a value y, resulting of the affine function y = A*x+B mod 26 (with 26 is the
alphabet size).
For example, for A=5 and B=3
For D (x=3), y = A*3+B = 5*3+3 = 18, so D is coded to S (position 18).
For O (x=14), y = A*14+B = 5*14+3 = 73 = 21 mod 26, so O is coded to letter V
(position 21).
Task 1: Find the affine function in the graph

Task 2: Using this function, encrypt the name of the famous mathematician who left us
a theorem on right triangles. Start with A=0
Task 3: Decode: Cbixamoloe (Hint: he said Eureka!)

Solutions
Simple Transposition code
Task 1. There are 8 possible grids: 2x24, 3x16, 4x12, 6x8, 8x6, 12x4, 16x3 and 24x2
Task 2. 35 letters, so 2 possible grids: 5x7 and 7x5, the good one is 7x5. The message is:
ALWAYS BE SINCERE EVEN IF YOU DON NOT MEAN IT
Task 3. The quick brown fox jumps over that lazy dog.
Task 4. The minimum number of letters in order to have more than one grid is 3.
The Caesar code
Task 1. The Caesar code can be made more complicated by having a different shift for
different letters
Task 3. 26 ways
Task 4. for 3 letters there are 3 ways, for 4 letters 24, for 5 letters 120 possibilities. For
26 letters the number is 1x2x3xx26=26!
The Vigenere code
Task Our project is the best in the world
The Pigpen Cipher
Task 2 THE ROOM IN WHICH THE MURDER WAS COMMITED HAS A
ROOM NUMBER
The Affine code
Task 1. f(x)=3x+2
Task 2. Vwhxcusbce
Task 3. Archimedes

ENCRYPTED MESSAGES

C by the students from project team 8C,

Bucharest, Romania
1.

Simple Transposition Code

1) YAAHBOEHONNIUTRI UDYNTEYNCOTGNVTG. DAVID ALLEN

(Lucian Frunza)
2) RUOTMIAFNUILACIOSUANBTERAY.
(Matei Sura)
2. The ATBASH Code
3) GZOVMG RH Z WFOO PMRUV GSZG DROO XFG MLGSRMT FMOVHH RG RH
DRVOWVW DRGS TIVZG ULIXV. - HGVKSVM PRMT
(Adriana Ionita)
4) DV OLEV ORUV, MLG YVXZFHV DV ZIV FHVW GL ORERMT, YFG YVXZFHV DV ZIV
FHVW GL OLERMT. - UIRVWIRXS MRVGAHXSV
(Monica Alexiuc)
5) RU Z ORMV RH KVIKVMWRXFOZI GL Z KOZM (K), L RH GSV RMGVIHVXGRLM LU
GSV KVIKVMWRXFOZI DRGS GSV KOZM, ZMW LZ RH KVIKVMWRXFOZI GL Z
ORMV z RMXOFWVW RM (K), GSVM GSV ORMV DSRXS FMRGVH ZMB WLG N LM
GSV ORMV z DRGS Z RH KVIKVMWRXFOZI LM ORMV z.
(Anda Andronic)
6) GLGZO ZIVZ LU Z KBIZNRW RH GSV HFN LU GSV ZIVZH LU ZOO GSV UZXVH LU
GSV KBIZNRW.
(Andreea Aron)
3. The Caesar Code
7) IRMATZHKTL PTL T ZKXTM ZKXXD FTMAXFTMBVBTG.
(Alexandru Posdarie)
8) YKHQIXQO ZEOYKRANAZ WIANEYW EJ 1492.

(Alexandru Dragusin)
9) MH UX HK GHM MH UX, MABL BL MAX JNXLMBHG.
(Razvan Caruta)
10) VLR LKIV IFSB LKZB, ALK'Q TXPQB VLRO ZEXKZB.
(Cristian Costache)
4. The Vigenere Code
11) KOC'I AYY QTAHUHT GA'S DKCY, SBXJL BTRYBST XR OAEECUES.
(Mara Marinescu)
12) KN R CYH D IIG EAQ LZHQITMEV OSVA WTZQ C KZTNPG IEF ELG LFV X FGTFPRW
VW RP LVEP RD OIVMIOTRGL SA ELGU, KJPR VPV OPEUCIG ZJ VPV CCGJ IS KD
ISCRN ES VPV UFQ QN KJP QGIJWCIU WW VSI CZTJPW CU RPO QD.
(Bianca Paraschiv)
13) AC PATLT P OEY ZTPTS IWP HORIZV ALPJ.
(Catalina Uta)
14) FHX TWMSNYW AF T ZWYIVPJOLX PK ANX OMZDKLV QIZOLQEG KWSRXLK.
(Theodora Uta)
5. The pigpen Cipher

15)

(Adrian Dumitrache)
16)

(Dimitrie Tanasescu)

17)

(Stefan Cazacu)
18)

(Marius Iliescu)

6. The Affine Code

19) RL ZDRPRN VLZZ, VRF ZDRPRN ZDNP.
(Andrei Ionescu)
7. Another Code
20) Find an encrypted word with four letters from the following text:
In 1942, an American naval vessel patrolling in the area of the Italian coast, intercepted an Italian
ship. The Italian crev was taken alboard by the US destroyer and the order was given to sink the ship
by gun fire, daspite of the desperade cries of the Italian skipper.
(Vlad Buture)
SOLUTIONS:
1) YOU CAN DO ANYTHING BUT NOT EVERYTHING.
(Grid with 4 lines and 8 columns)
2) ROMANIA IS A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY.
(Grid with 13 lines and 2 columns)
3) TALENT IS A DULL KNIFE THAT WILL CUT NOTHING UNLESS IT IS WIELDED WITH
GREAT FORCE. STEPHEN KING
4)

WE LOVE LIFE, NOT BECAUSE WE ARE USED TO LIVING, BUT BECAUSE WE ARE
USED TO LOVING. - FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE

5) IF A LINE IS PERPENDICULAR TO A PLAN (P), O IS THE INTERSECTION OF THE

PERPENDICULAR WITH THE PLAN, AND OA IS PERPENDICULAR TO A LINE a
INCLUDED IN (P), THEN THE LINE WHICH UNITES ANY DOT M ON THELINE a WITH
A IS PERPENDICULAR ON LINE a.
6)

TOTAL AREA OF A PYRAMID IS THE SUM OF THE AREAS OF ALL THE FACES OF
THE PYRAMID.

7) PYTHAGORAS WAS A GREAT GREEK MATHEMATICIAN. (Shift=7)

8) COLUMBUS DISCOVERED AMERICA IN 1492. (Shift=4)
9) TO BE OR NOT TO BE, THIS IS THE QUESTION. (Shift=7)
10) YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE, DON'T WASTE YOUR CHANCE. (Shift=3)
11) DON'T CRY BECAUSE IT'S OVER, SMILE BECAUSE IT HAPPENED.
12) IF A AND B ARE TWO DIFFERENT DOTS FROM A CIRCLE AND THE DOT M BELONGS
TO AN ARCH AB DETERMINED BY THEM, THEN THE MEASURE OF THE ARCH AB IS
EQUAL TO THE SUM OF THE MEASURES OF THE ARCHES AM AND MB.
13) AN APPLE A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY.
14) THE MEASURE OF A SEMICIRCLE IS ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEEN DEGREES.
15) PI IS EQUAL WITH ABOUT THREE,ONE FOUR
16) TIME IS MONEY.
17) YOU WILL NEVER WALK ALONE.
18) MATHEMATIC IS FUN.
19) HE LAUGHS WELL, WHO LAUGHS LAST.
20) Find the mistakes and circle them. The letters you circled form the decripted word. Solution: crev
=> V; alboard => L; daspite => A; desperade => D. The encrypted word is VLAD.

FRENCH
COLLABORATIVE
WORK :

1. DECODING CODES from Romania

2. CREATING ENCRYPTED MESSAGES to be shared
3. CREATING ENCRYPTED MESSAGES using
Augmented Reality

1. FRANCE DECRYPTS
CODES FROM ROMANIA

THE CAESAR CODE

By team, they share their decoded

messages to the class checking out any
mistake !

1. FRANCE DECRYPTS
CODES FROM ROMANIA

THE CAESAR CODE

on the interactive
whiteboard

Students decrypt messages using

the document from the romanian
students. They start to decode with
a pencil and then they share their
work on the interactive witheboard.
The caesar code is a type of
substitution cipher in which each
letter in the plaintext is replaced by
a letter some fixed number of
positions down the alphabet.

1. FRANCE DECRYPTS
CODES FROM ROMANIA

THE VIGENERE CODE

The students also studied
the Vigenere code to
decrypt polyalphabetic
cipher.
The link with the previous
code (caesar) is that the
Vigenre cipher is a
method of encrypting
alphabetic text by using a
series of different Caesar
ciphers based on the
letters of a keyword.

1. FRANCE DECRYPTS
CODES FROM ROMANIA

STUDENTS AT WORK !

2. FRANCE CREATES
CODES to be shared

Margot is writing her own code !

Florian and Alexis are writing their

messages !

Yani is writing his encrypted

message !

Justine is writing her code !

2. FRANCE CREATES
CODES to be shared

Your turn to decrypt our messages ! Using a very

easy caesar code ;-)
Try to find the shift to make things more
complicated ... using the frequency method !

3. FRANCE CREATES
CODES using Augmented
Reality
The students work with AurasmaStudio website to create an
augmented reality cipher.
First, they create a slide using powerpoint with a picture and a
encoded message.
Secondly, they duplicate the slide and write the decoded
message at the same place as the coded message.
Thirdly, they sign up in AurasmaStudio, and create their aura
by selecting the first slide as a trigger image, and the second
one as the overlay.
Finally, the students need to share their aura using a QR code.
Notice that Aurasma App must be downloaded on your phone
to make it work properly !!
The goal is to scan the coded message with the smartphone
(Aurasma App) and to make appear virtually the decoded
message !
https://studio.aurasma.com/login

3. FRANCE CREATES
CODES using Augmented
Reality

The trigger image of Camille !

The QR code of
Camille !
The overlay of Camille !

3. FRANCE CREATES
CODES using Augmented
Reality

The Aura of Camille is

appearing above the
encoded message to
reveal its meaning !

The overlay of Camille !

3. FRANCE CREATES
CODES using Augmented
Reality

The trigger image

of Louise !

The QR code of
Louise !
The overlay of Louise !

3. FRANCE CREATES
CODES using Augmented
Reality

The aura of Louise !

All the students will have to

download the aurasma app,
and a qr code reader.
First, they have to upload the
aura by scanning the qr code,
and then they have to scan the
encrypted message with
aurasma app to show the
decrypted message virtually as
an overlay !

The QR code of
Louise !

4. FRANCE CREATES A
VIRTUAL HOUSE OF
CODES in Augmented
Reality !

Look for the #sectioneurobazin in AurasmaStudio and

follow all the students to visit this house of codes !

Look for the #sectioneurobazin in AurasmaStudio and

follow all the students to visit this house of codes !

Look for the #sectioneurobazin in AurasmaStudio and

follow all the students to visit this house of codes !

Bucharest team

Source of the images: http://

medianmagicsquares.blogspot.ro/

Magic squares
Mathematical - logical activity in Myslenice

Making a Magic Square

Mathematical - logical activity in Gimnazjum nr3 Mylenice, Poland

14

17

10

11

Some properties:

13

Magic number is 30

3+6+7+9+10+11+13+14+17 = 90

90:3=30

30:3 =10 the number in the middle

10=
7=

, 14=

,6=

, 13 =

+ + =336 = + +
+ + = 374 = + +
Create magic square from the number : 1,3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 using this
properties.
1+3+5+7+9+11+13+15+17=81
81:3=27 magic number
27 :3= 9 number in the middle

15

17

13

11

You can notice that in this magic square are working 3 numbers 9, 6, 2:

9-2
9+6+2
9-6

9-6+2 9+6
9

9-6-2

9+6-2 9+2

We can try make own magic square using 3 number in such way,
for example 5, 3, 1

5-1

5-3+1

5+3

5+3+1

5-3-1

5-3

5+3-1

5+1

So we have magic square , the magic number is 15.

Benjamin Franklin, a former president of the USA, discovered a way of

creating a magic square for any chosen magic number.
He did this by using algebra, whereby you choose values for a, b and c,
then substitute them into the formulas shown in the grid.

Fill in the correct numbers in the Magic Square, for the given values of a,
b and c.

1) a = 6, b = 4, c = 1

2) a = 10, b = 6, c = 2

Magic Number =

Magic Number =

3) a = 12, b = 10, c = 5

4) a = 25, b = 25, c = 6

Magic Number =

Magic Number =

Can you see the link between the magic number and a, b or c?

Making a Magic Square (your own ones!)

Fill in the correct numbers in the Magic Square, for the given values of a, b and
c.

1) a = , b = , c =

2) a = , b = , c =

Magic Number =

Magic Number =

 Why does this work?

Imagine we added up the rows and columns using the algebra instead of
numbers:
a-c+a-b+c+a+b = 3a
In every row, column and diagonal, the Algebra adds up to 3a
So they will all be the same number
The middle number multiplied by 3!

Multiply every number of magic square by 2

16

18

10

14

12

Is it Magic square? Yes , magic number is 30.

Add two of this magic squares

16

18

10

14

12

=
12

24

27

15

21

18

You have next magic square. What is the magic number ? 45 = 15 +30

Tasks for our partners:

Use your math skills to fill in each in these magic squares.
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Good luck !!!

Activity for the logical intelligence- Bucharest

Mathematical Treasure Hunt
Team no:
Members:
No.
1

Where
Ground
floor

Ground
floor

Ground
floor

First floor

Question

Answer

First floor

First floor

Second
floor

Second
floor

Second
floor

10

Soccer
field

11

Front yard

12

Back yard

Rules:

Start with the question that has the same number as your team
Answer the questions in increasing order, then restart from no 1.
Do not communicate with the other teams
Your team gets 1 point for each correctly decrypted question and 2 points for
each correct answer.
The first team to finish gets 4 bonus points, the second team 2 points, the third
team 1 bonus point. Maximum: 40 points

Example of the introduction game during the meeting in the Netherlands. The aims of this game are
first to use mathematics to get to a number, then to use this number to decode a sentence. Every
sentence is about another student. So after the decoding you have to talk to a lot of other students
to find the correct one. A lot of interaction is needed in this way!
Country student: The Netherlands
Name student:

In this introduction game you have to decode a number of messages. They are all encoded using the
Caesar shift code. To know what shift to use you have to solve a little exercise first for each sentence.
At the other side of this page you can fill in the shifted alphabet.
When you have decoded the messages you will see a number of sentences that belongs to that
amount of students present. You have to find out which students these sentences belong to, and
when you have found all your students (could be three or four) you have to go to the Dutch teachers
and have your photo taken with the other students (so as a group).
Exercise number 1:

(314+1)3
3
4

4 =.

Sentence number 1: Guvf fghqrag sebz gur Argureynaqf yvxrf svgarff naq Ratyvfu nf snibevgr fhowrpg.

Exercise number 2:

(713+1)2
2
3

17 =.

Sentence number 2: Bpqa oqzta zmila ivl aequa i twb, tqsma uibpa ivl pia ia uivg lwoa ia jzwbpmza.

Exercise number 3:

(313+1)2
2
3

+ 7 =.

Sentence number 3: U aclf qbi aiym ni ziinvuff gunwbym uhx jfusm 5 xczzylyhn echxm iz mjilnm!

Letter Shifted
letter
Sentence 1
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

Shifted
letter
Sentence 2

Shifted
letter
Sentence 3

Shifted
letter
Sentence 4

Answers to the example:

Exercise number 1:

(314+1)3
3
4

4 =. 13

Sentence number 1:
Guvf fghqrag sebz gur Argureynaqf yvxrf svgarff naq Ratyvfu nf snibevgr fhowrpg.
This student from the Netherlands likes fitness and English as favorite subject.

Exercise number 2:

(713+1)2
2
3

17 =. 8

Sentence number 2:
Bpqa oqzta zmila ivl aequa i twb, tqsma uibpa ivl pia ia uivg lwoa ia jzwbpmza.

This girls reads and swims a lot, likes maths and has as many dogs as brothers.

Exercise number 3:

(313+1)2
2
3

+ 7 =. 20

Sentence number 3:
U aclf qbi aiym ni ziinvuff gunwbym uhx jfusm 5 xczzylyhn echxm iz mjilnm!

A girl who goes to football matches and plays 5 different kinds of sports!

Encrypted messages in a different way!

The square method:

First take a piece of grid paper of 6 by 6 squares. Make the outside ring yellow, the one in
the middle green and the 4 squares in the middle blue. Now cut out one square of each
number on the yellow ring: so one 1, one 2, one 3, one 4 and one 5. With the green ring you
do exactly the same. Cut out one 1, one 2 and one 3. Now cut out one of the four blue ones
in the middle. You can find one example below.

Also cut out the blue square at the bottom right hand side (not done in the pictures above,
but done in the ones below). Now your key is ready! On the next page you can see an
example of how to use this key to encrypt the Dutch sentence: Dit is een geheime
boodschap voor jou (in English: This is a secret message for you). As you can see, after filling
your key you have to turn your key a quarter to the right.

In the fourth picture above you can see that after the last letter, 5 random letters are placed
to fill the square. And below is the encrypted message.

Now you will find two encrypted messages and their key on the next page. Have fun!

Exercise number 1:

Exercise number 2:

Solutions to the exercises with the square method:

Exercise number 1: In Amsterdam we have the dam square.

Exercise number 2: Amsterdam was very rich in the golden age.

ENCRYPTED MESSAGES
IES ALONSO DE MADRIGAL

CODIFICATION
GAME

OBJETIVE

The objective of this activity targets the linguistic, kinesthetic and logic
intelligences.

The practice is designed for complete class group and can be carried out in
about two class periods.

The CODIFICATION GAME

Five are the codifications methods covered in this activity: Transposition, Braille,
Semaphore, Morse and Enigma Code.

ACTIVITY PROCEDURE:
1.-) Split the class in five groups.
2.-) Each group is given one of the five codifications method dossier* and a message**
to codify:
The dossier include a:

Historic introduction.
Key sheet with the method working instructions.

Each group must read and understand how their method works and use it to codify the
message assigned.
3.-) The semaphore team will start:
3.1 They must explain to the rest of the class the origins of their method,
3.2 After that they explain how it works. All the students receive now the
Semaphore key sheet.
3.2 Now is time for the others groups to decode the Semaphore team Message.
One of the members of the semaphore team (helped by their group mates) will
perform (body language) the codified message in front of all the students. It will
be performed only twice.

______________________________________________________________________
*Dossiers are in annex I

** Messages are in annex II

4.-) The Morse team turn:

4.1 They explain the historic origins of their method and how it works.
4.2 All the students receive now the Morse key sheet.
4.3 Now is time for the others groups to decode the Semaphore team Message.
One of the members of the Morse team will play their message twice using for
example:
http://www.plenilune.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/morse-code.htm

5.-) The Braille, Transposition and Enigma teams will consecutively explain their
historic origins.
All the students receive now the corresponding three key sheets.
The three teams will write/paint their codifications in the class board.
Everybody must decode the three messages.
6.-) Results checking:
All the teams write their decodes in a sheet.
The objective is to decode successfully as many messages as possible.

_____________________________________________________________________
Activity inspired by materials obtained from: http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/

ANNEX I

MESSAGES TO BE CODED

Message for TEAM TRASPOSITION: REGULAR POLYGONS.

Message for TEAM BRAILLE: IRRATIONAL NUMBER.

Message for TEAM SHEMAPHORE: PYTHAGORAS.

Message for TEAM MORSE: GOLDEN NUMBER.

Message for TEAM ENIGMA: FRACTALS ARE THE GEOMETRY OF CAOS.

ANNEX II
Below are attached these five encryption methods:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

BRAILLE
ENIGMA
MORSE
SEMAPHORE
TRANSPOSITION

1.- Braille
Braille is a method of representing letters by raised dots which blind people can read by
touch. It was invented in 1833 by the Frenchman, Louis Braille. When he was three
years old he lost the sight of one eye while playing with one of his father's knives (his
father was a harness maker), and soon lost his sight completely.

Barbier's system

An earlier system for soldiers passing messages in the dark had been
developed by another Frenchman, Charles Barbier. This uses up to
twelve embossed dots, 6 vertical in 2 rows, as shown opposite. Each
letter is made up of a pattern of raised dots which the reader can feel
with his fingers. Of course, it is just as important to be able to tell
when a dot is missing.

Braille revised the pattern by using a base of six positions, 3 vertical

in 2 rows, as shown opposite.

B
 

L

  

1

9
i

Punctuation
ca

a 



c

colon

h n

dca
nt



ber

sign

sign

$ac!

question
mark

fl
stop

caa ecaa
a!
sign

oblique

accent

(a #

"

2.-Enigma Cipher
I


Security blunders on both sides during the First World War increased the need for a higher
level of secrecy and more advanced methods of enciphering messages other than
traditional pencil and paper techniques.
In 1915, two Dutch Naval officers invented a machine to encrypt messages. This
encryption tool became one of the most notorious of all time, the Enigma cipher machine.
Arthur Scherbius, a German businessman, patented the Enigma in 1918 and began selling
it commercially to banks and businesses.
The Enigma machine's place in history was secured in 1926 when the German armed
forces began using a specially adapted military version to encrypt their communications.
They continued to rely on the machine throughout World War II, believing it to be
absolutely unbreakable.
How the Enigma machine worked
When a plaintext letter was typed on the keyboard, an electric current would pass through
the different scrambling elements of the machine and light up a ciphertext letter on the
'lampboard'. What made the Enigma machine so special was the fact that every time a
letter was pressed, the moveable parts of the machine would change position so that the
next time the same letter was pressed, it would most likely be enciphered as something
different. This meant that traditional frequency analysis methods could not be used to
crack the code.

World War II Enigma Cipher Machine

To make it even more difficult, different parts of the machine could be set up in different
ways, with each setting producing a unique stream of enciphered letters. Unless you
knew the exact setting of the machine, you couldn't decipher the messages.
Choosing rotors
Inside the Army issue Enigma machine there were 3 cipher wheels called rotors which
could be taken out and changed about. Each rotor had the letters A to Z with different

i ii  !  " ## ! ! $i #%#
could choose from for the 3 slots in the machine.

Rotors in position in an Enigma Cipher Machine

Shows the ciphers obtained for rotor positions "HAA" to "HAR" using a particular set of adjustments of the machine
(After enciphering each letter from your message, move down to the next rotor settings)

Rotor settings

Enigma Ciphers

H A 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
W O F S Y C L X R Q P G T V B K J I D M Z N A H E U

H A B

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
O N S Y T P Z Q M K J X I B A F H V C E W R U L D G

H A C

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
Q E I F B D M U C R W X G Y S V A J O Z H P K L N T

H A D

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
P H V M L N Y B U Z X E D F W A S T Q R I C O K G J

H A E

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
S T F H R C O D X U L K W V G Z Y E A B J N M I Q P

H A F

A B C D E F G H I
R U H X N J O C T

H A G

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
Q C B Z O R M P V X T W G S E H A F N K Y I L J U D

H A H

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
T M K W X N U V P S C R B F Z I Y L J A G H D E Q O

H A I

A B C D E F G H I J
Y C B E D T S Q M L

10

H A J

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
S O P M W R I T G U Q Y D X B C K F A H J Z E N L V

11

H A K

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
X D P B F E S V R T Z W Q U Y C M I G J N H L A O K

12

H A L

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
I T Z S Y V J Q A G W N P L U M H X D B O F K R E C

13

H A M

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
G K R W T O A Q V P B Z X Y F J H C U E S I D M N L

14

H A N

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
E U R L A Y P W M O S D I T J G X C K N B Z H Q F V

15

H A O

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
S V H F X D O C R P M U K Q G J N I A Z L B Y E W T

16

H A P

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
T P V U Q L N R O W Z F S G I B E H M A D C J Y X K

17

H A Q

A B C D E F G H I J
T I R P Y Q V O B L

18

H A R

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
Z J R M Q U P N O B Y S D H I G E C L V F T X W K A

J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
F Q W Y E G S K A P I B Z L D M V

K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
U J I Z X R H P G F K W V O A N

K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
U J X Z H D F C W A K G S M E N

(The machine would go on making up more ciphers, but there is no more room here!)

4.-Semaphore
The semaphore flag signalling system, designed by the Chappe brothers in France in the
late 18th century was used to carry despatches between French army units, including
those commanded by Napoleon, and was soon adopted by other European states.

EL
LO

The semaphore system we use today uses flags, usually square and
divided diagonally into a red and a yellow section with the red in the
uppermost triangle.

up
The signaller, with arms extended, holds the flags
in various positions to represent the different letters
of the alphabet. There are eight positions for each
flag (up, down, out high, low for each of the left
and right hands (LH and RH)).

high
out
l

down


LEFT

For six of the positions (letters H, I, O, W, X, Z )

the signaller is required to hold one or other of the
flags across the body so that both flags are on the
same side. The flags, though, are never both in the
same position. Although the flags have two
different patterns, these are not relevant to the
signalling flags of one colour could be used with
the same result.

(LH up, RH out)

(LH high, RH high)

(LH out,
RH across low)

(LH out, RH low)

and 4
(LH down, RH up
or
LH up, RH down)

and 9
(LH across low,
RH up)

(LH low, RH low)








(LH out,
RH across high)

(LH out, RH out)

and 8
(LH across low,
RH up)




(LH high,
RH up)

and 3
(LH down, RH high)

"

(LH low,
RH high)

(LH across high,

RH out)

(LH up, RH high)

and 'alphabetic'
(LH out,
RH up)

E and 5
(LH high, RH down)

(LH out, RH high)

(LH low,
RH across high)

(LH low, RH out)



(LH low, RH up)

(LH high, RH out)

(LH and RH raised

and lowered
together)

    

and 7
and 2
(LH down, RH out) (LH low, RH down) (LH high, RH low)

and zero
(LH up, RH low)

and 6
and 1
(LH down, RH low) (LH out, RH down)

3.-Morse Code
Morse code was invented by an American, Samuel Morse (1791-1872). Before the
invention of the telegraph, messages that had to be sent over long distances were usually
carried by messenger. These messages were delivered only as quickly as the fastest
available horse could travel!
But in 1830, the first long distance telegraphic device was made by Joseph Henry (17971878) and Samuel Morse invented a telegraph system for sending messages using
electricity. Messages were sent by tapping out a special code for each letter in the form
of long or short signals. We will refer to them as 'dots' (short signals) and 'dashes' (long)
although they were originally called 'dits' and 'dahs'. The code was converted into
electrical impulses and sent over telegraph wires.

Machine
receiving
message

Machine
sending
message

I
 orse demonstrated the telegraph to the US Congress using the now famous
message, "What hath God wrought" a quotation from the Bible.

In 1851, an international conference in Berlin established an international version which

is still in use today. You are probably familiar with the SOS message which is

Morse code requires the time for dots and dashes and the pauses after letters and words to
be fairly standard, namely,
Character

Time

Dot
Dash
Letter pause

1 unit of time
3 units of time
3
"

Word pause

"

Example 1
What is the total time needed to send 'SOS'?

Solution
Letter

Code

Time

++=

3+3+3=

++=
1

P ext

M  Codes and Ciphers, UNIT 14 Morse Code

So for SOS you require the time for each letter plus 3 units of time between each letter
 +  +  +  +  =  ts of time

letter
pause

letter
pause

Note that the unit of time is arbitrary; experienced operators can achieve 20 to 30 words
per minute!

D  !"# $%& '%(  )) ( %(!* !( +)) !)+!* &,! ! -!.) ,! %/
providing highly reliable communications during difficult conditions, especially when
other more technology-based means have failed. It has survived for over 150 years and its
longevity is a tribute to the effective original design by Samuel Morse.

02456 7286

5.ORIGINS OF TRANSPOSITION: The Spartan scytale.

One of the oldest known examples is the Spartan scytale (scytale /sktli/, rhymes with Italy,
a baton). From indirect evidence, the scytale was first mentioned by the Greek poet
Archilochus who lived in the 7th century B.C. (over 2500 years ago). The ancient Greeks, and
the Spartans in particular, are said to have used this cipher to communicate during military
campaigns.Sender and recipient each had a cylinder

(called a scytale) of exactly the same radius. The sender wound a narrow ribbon of parchment
around his cylinder, then wrote on it lengthwise. After the ribbon is unwound, the writing
could be read only by a person who had a cylinder of exactly the same circumference.
The following table illustrate the idea. Imagine that each column wraps around the dowel one
time, that is that the bottom of one column is followed by the top of the next column.
Original message: Kill king tomorrow midnight
Wrapped message:
k i l l k i n g
t o m o r r o w
m i d n i g h t
Encoded message: ktm ioi lmd lon kri irg noh gwt
The key parameter in using the scytale encryption is the number of letters that can be recorded
on one wrap ribbon around the dowel. Above the maximum was 3, since there are 3 rows in
the wrapped meassage. The last row was padded with blank spaces before the message was
encoded. We'll call this the wrap parameter. If you don't know the wrap parameter you cannot
decode a message.
Spartan skytale example with pencil and paper

Transposition method
One method of encrypting messages is called transposition. A message, for example,
THIS IS A MESSAGE. HI.
is written across the rows in a grid:

A M

To obtain the encrypted message, simply read down the columns:

TIEGHSSEIASHSMAI
To decrypt the message, do the reverse: write down the columns and read across the rows,
The security of this system lies in having to know the size and shape of the grid.

Example 1
You intercept the following message
ASNEFOELBCVYNAWEEEOONASRNUTIYIEIDMT
a)

How many letters are there?

b)

What possibilities are there for the shape of the grid?

c)

Use the information from (a) and (b) to unscramble the message.

Solution
a)

35 letters

b)

5 rows by 7 columns or 7 rows by 5 columns

c)

7 rows by 5 columns gives the grid:

L W A

Reading along the rows, the message is

'ALWAYS BE SINCERE EVEN IF

YOU DO NOT MEAN IT'

-ENCRYPTED MESSAGES-

BQTFKKFKD YBDXK FK 200

HOW TO READ 23?

'10'

SOLUTION:

SOLUTION:

SOLUTION:

45 52 41 13 51 12 15 14

SOLUTION:

THINKING AREA

-ENCRYPTED MESSAGESSOLUTIONS AND CLUES

1. CAESAR'S CODE
Caesar method consists on moving the letters from any alphabet . The key
will be the number of places that the letters are moved. Julius Caesar
always used the same value: 3.

BQTFKKFKD YBDXK FK 200

eTwinning began in 2005.

=5

2.

HOW TO READ 23?

To decode each letter you must use a double entry table, in which each
letter is represented by two numbers.

45 52 41 13 51 12 15 14 ---------- TWO CUBED

3. '10'
Each letter is represented with the lines that surrounded them.

THE ETWINNING AGE

CLUES FOR PLAYERS

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

b/v

b/v

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Activity for the logical - mathematical

intelligence in Matera

The rail fence cipher

The rail fence cipher is a form of transposition cipher that gets its name from the way in which
it is encoded. In the rail fence cipher, the plaintext is written downwards on successive "rails"
of an imaginary fence, then moving up when we get to the bottom rail and again. The
message is then read off in rows. For example, using eight "rails" ( key) and a message of
MATHEMATICS ISNT ONLY REAL BUT IT IS THE ONLY REALITY (Martin Gardner), the
cipherer writes out:

T
A

N
T

S
H

I
E

S
M

C
A

I
T

T
O

S
N

I
L

T
Y

Y
E

T
O

U
R

B
E

L
A

I
N

L
L

A
Y

E
R

Then reads off:

MTTA NOSH YTSN IETH ILTO IESY UNLM CRBL AAIE LYET AR

Task:
Decode the following message, ciphered with a a rail fence code. The key is given by the
number of used rows (Key 8)
MSAA ODTS LLHI DRES AOMC SWAI TETH

The
Carbonari
alphabet
The Carbonari alphabet was a
substitution cipher used by the
Carbonari, Italian secret society
founded in Naples in the early
19th century, to deliver ciphered
messages during the Italian
Uprisings of 1830-31. The cipher
was based on the simple substitution of letters.
We have to exchange the couples A/O, B/P, C/G, D/T, E/I, F/V, L/R, M/N, S/Z, except H,
K, J, Q, U, W, Y, X that remain the same.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
O PG TI VC HEJ KRNMABQ LZDUF W XYS

Example:
Plaintext/original text
Mathematics is the result of mysterious powers which no one understands, and in which
the unconscious recognition of beauty must play an important part. Out of an infinity of
designs a mathematician chooses one pattern for beauty's sake and pulls it down to earth.

Encoded text
Nodhinodegz ez dhi lizurd av nyzdileauz bawilz whegh ma ami umtilzdomtz, omt em
whegh dhi umgamzgeauz ligacmedeam av pioudy nuzd broy om enbaldomd bold. Aud av
om emvemedy av tizecmz o nodhinodegeom ghaaziz ami boddilm val pioudyz zoki omt
burrz ed tawm da ioldh.

Task 1
You have intercepted the following message encoded with the Carbonari alphabet. Can
you decode it?
Nodhinodegz hoz pioudy omt lanomgi. Edz mad o palemc brogi da pi, dhi nodhinodegor
walrt. Edz om ixdloaltemoly brogi; edz waldh zbimtemc deni dhili.

Task 2
You must send the following message. Cipher it with the Carbonari alphabet , so that no
indiscreet eyes will be able to understand it!
The essence of mathematics is its freedom. (Georg Cantor)

Our cipher
We have invented a simple cipher where some letters of the alphabet have been
substituted with numbers. Each equal number corresponds to an equal letter.

Task
Decode the following text in order to get to the original one:
I m l22king f2r fri3nd5. W41t d235 t41t m31n t1m3?"
"It i5 1n 1ct t22 2ft3n n3gl3ct3d," 51id t43 f2x. "It m31n5 t2 35t1bli54 ti35."
"T2 35t1bli54 ti35?"
"Ju5t t41t," 51id t43 f2x. "T2 m3, you 1r3 5till n2t4ing m2r3 t41n 1 littl3 b2y w42 is ju5t lik3
14undr3d t42u51nd 2t43r littl3 b2y5. 1nd I 41v3 n2 n33d 2f y2u. 1nd y2u, 2n y2ur p1rt,
41v3 n2 n33d 2f m3. T2 y2u I 1m n2t4ing m2r3 t41n 1 f2x lik3 1 4undr3d t42u51nd 2t43r
f2x35. But if y2u t1m3 m3, t43n w3 541ll n33d 31c4 2t43r. T2 m3, y2u will b3 uniqu3 in 1ll
t43 w2rld. T2 y2u, I 541ll b3 uniqu3 in 1ll t43 w2rld....

ROUTE CIPHER
In a route cipher, the plaintext is first written out in a grid of given dimensions, then read
off in a pattern given in the key. For example, using the text: Pure mathematics is the
poetry of logical ideas (Albert Einstein), we could have:
P
U
R
E
M

A
T
H
E
M

A
T
I
C
S

I
S
T
H
E

P
O
E
T
R

Y
O
F
L
O

G
I
C
A
L

I
D
E
A
S

The key might specify "reading spiral inwards, counterclockwise, starting from top right".
That would give this cipher text:
IGYPIAAPUREMMSEROLSAEDIOOSTTHECHTLACFETI

Task:
decipher the following text using a grid sized 5 x 5
NUMBEEURYELESNSRRULEEVITH
Key: read spiral inwards, counterclockwise, starting from top left, after writing the words
from top to bottom in the columns.

Columnar transposition
In the columnar transposition the message is written along the grid rows of predetermined
size and then it is read out along the columns, according to a particular order. Both the line
length and the column permutation are defined by a keyword. For example, the word
LACTOSE has7 letters (is of length 7), so the rows will also be of length 7 and the
permutation is defined by the alphabetic order of the keyword letters. In this case the order
would be 2-3-7-1-5-6-4 because the alphabetical order of the letters in LACTOSE is
ACELOST.
In code books with a regular columnar transposition the empty positions at the end of the
last row are filled with random characters, while in irregular ones they are left white. In the
end, the message is read in the columns in the order specified by the keyword. For
example, supposing you are using the keyword LACTOSE and the message Maths is the
alphabet God wrote the Universe with, in a regular columnar transposition, we would have
this grid:

L
4
M
T
A
W
E
S

A
1
A
H
B
R
U
E

C
2
T
E
E
O
N
W

T
7
H
A
T
T
I
I

O
5
S
L
G
E
V
T

S
6
I
P
O
T
E
H

E
3
S
H
D
H
R
Y

AHBRUE TEEONW SHDHRY MTAWES SLGEVT IPOTEH HATTII

KEY WORD: LACTOSE

Task:
the following message has been encoded with a regular columnar transposition cipher.
Decipher it using the keyword HOTMAIL:

SINSSSTQ MTEHRXOT IGDTESRZ SHTPEIUL HHAOIEFY AHSEEPNH TEMCROW

SOLUTIONS
The rail fence cipher

1. Mathematics is as old as the world.

The Carbonari alphabet
1. Mathematics has beauty and romance. It's not a boring place to be, the mathematical
world. It's an extraordinary place; it's worth spending time there.

2. DHIIZZIMGIAVNODHINODEGZEZEDZVLIITAN
Our Cipher
1. a=1; o=2;e=3;h=4;s=5

I am looking for friends. What does that mean -- tame?"

"It is an act too often neglected," said the fox. "It means to establish ties."
"To establish ties?"
"Just that," said the fox. "To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a
hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have
no need of me. To you I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes.
But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the
world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world....
Antoine de Saint-Exupry, The Little Prince

Route Cipher
1.

N
U
M
B
E

R
R
U
L
E

"Number rules the universe. (Pythagoras)

S
T
H
E
U

N
I
V
E
R

S
E
L
E
Y

Columnar transposition
1.

H
2
M
T
E
H
R
X
O
T

O
6
A
H
S
E
E
P
N
H

T
7
T
E
T
M
C
R
O
W

M
5
H
H
A
O
I
E
F
Y

A
1
S
I
N
S
S
S
T
Q

I
3
I
G
D
T
E
S
R
Z

L
4
S
H
T
P
E
I
U
L

MATHS IS THE HIGHEST AND THE MOST PRECISE EXPRESSION OF TRUTH

MAGIC SQUARES
from
the GREEK TEAM
3X3
1st
20

15

17

2nd
4

11

5X5
3rd-numbers 1 to 25
1

20

13

15

19

16
11

17
7

25

18
6

4th -numbers 10 to 34
13

34

22

10

31

44
5th - numbers 1 to 16
1

12
6
11
5

16

ANSWERS
3X3
1st
20

18

13

15

17

12

23

10

2nd
7

13

11

12

5X5
3rd- numbers 1 to 25
23

20

19

22

16

14

11

13

15

21

12

17

10

18

25

24

4th - numbers 10 to 34
20

19

13

32

26

27

21

15

14

33

34

28

22

16

10

11

30

29

23

17

18

12

31

25

24

44
5th - numbers 1 to 16
1

12

13

15

10

14

11

16

Da V.I.N.C.I. Code
Copyright 2015 by AIMS
Collaborative work of seven European schools in France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania
and Spain
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or
mechanical means including storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from AIMS
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