Re: VMs: VMS Lookalike encipherment

["J HALEY" <j.haley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Knox Mix wrote on 11 July 2005


> Elias Schwerdtfeger wrote [extracts]:
> >
> > I wrote a little Python script to apply your method - as far as I
> > understand it - to some amount of text. From my german plaintext
>
>
> I must be missing something.
>
> If os --> L
> & s ----> B
> The CT can be read
> os ---> L
> but not
> os ---> PB
> because there is no delimited PB in the plaintext as alphabetized
>
> However,
> If o --> P
> &  r --> S
> & or --> R
> The CT can be read either of two ways:
> or ---> R
> or ---> PS
>
> and if
> o ----> D
> o ----> P
> sh ---> D
> sh ---> N
> y ----> C
> y ----> T
> Then how distinguish between plaintext D & P, D & N, C & T to reverse
> the encipherment if such was intended?

This is one of the main unresolved issues. The interesting thing to note is
that it is very easy to encode when the spaces are removed and
alphabetical groups are produced. I believe Philip Neal amongts others
suggested that some kind of sorting may have been involved. I may be
wrong. Philip?

I do not believe however that decipherment would be impossible as the
choices are binary. There are only two choices for EVA Y for instance.
Also the scribe would not choose the combination o + r and would use
another alternative to avoid ambiguity. After all there are at least two
choices for each substitution. It is not perfect but it is elegant and
simple.
It also shows that Gordon Rugg does not have the only possible answer.

This is a work in progress that may become fruitful through further analysis
of the VMS. It may also be total rubbish. Only time will tell.

Jeff

>
> Knox


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