Re: VMs: Spending lots of money...

[Nick Pelling <incoming@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Elmar,

At 14:21 30/01/2004 +0100, Elmar Vogt wrote:
> So, this means that the solution of the VM doesn't depend on gazillions of 
> CPU
> cycles to be spent on the subject, but in finding the right method, the
> algorithm -- which is still what people are better for. So, even without a
> tremenduous budget (which still would help, I strongly support setting up a
> research central in Hawaii!), we have the chance to solve the riddle -- which
> is why I would label the situation :-).

Actually, setting up in Florence or Milan wouldn't be a bad option either. :-)

> P.S.: A small question from a non-native speaker of English: What is the
> difference between a "code" and a "cipher"? Is there a distinction?

A code is a list of (typically numerical) indices into a code book (ie a 
transformation at the word level) [4 5 3 7 2 6 1] - while transposition 
ciphers reorder the sequence of letters [sa ni siht elpmaxe], while 
substitution ciphers replace letters with one or more (typically imaginary) 
ones. Nomenclators form a kind of hinterland between the two (ie "replace a 
word with an imaginary letter").

        1       code
        2       decode
        3       how
        4       this
        5       is
        6       a
        7       you

Cheers, .....Len Pickling.....  :-) 


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