To encrypt messages, John and Jane used Scytale. \"Scytale is a tool used to per

Question

To encrypt messages, John and Jane used Scytale. "Scytale is a tool used to perform a transposition cipher, consisting of a cylinder with a strip of parchment wound around it on which is written a message. The ancient Greeks, and the Spartans in particular, are said to have used this cipher to communicate during military campaigns. The recipient uses a cylinder of the same diameter on which the parchment is wrapped to read the message. It has the advantage of being fast and not prone to mistakes a necessary property when on the battlefield' (read more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scytale). John handed Jane a tape on which was written: Unfortunately, Jane lost her cylinder, but she sees that the tape is full, and knows that while winding the tape, the entire number of turnovers was made. Help her to recover the message.

Explanation / Answer

Cipher text - hssthelaaenchamllnwoleniesdhtothndeeohsredwhrkieuwiiornnrthstooogthofhdrwiotsifss

Decripted text - HE WHO KNOWS NOTHING IS CLOSER TO THE TRUTH THAN HE WHOSE MIND IS FILLED WITH FALSEHOODS AND ERRORS.

Explanation - Since in Scytale we have to round the tape so that the letters falls at the same place and give meaning to the cipher text .HEnce the letters must falls after same interval.

In this case total number of alphabets are 81

to completely cover the cylinder they must fall in same place

since - 9*9 = 81

therefore the letters must falls at 9th place

so by using below table -

hssthelaaenchamllnwoleniesdhtothndeeohsredwhrkieuwiiornnrthstooogthofhdrwiotsifss
123456789123456789123456789123456789123456789123456789123456789123456789123456789

we can write the decrypted text .

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