Skip over navigation
Cambridge University Faculty of Mathematics NRich logo
menu search
  • Teachers expand_more
    • Early years
    • Primary
    • Secondary
    • Post-16
    • Events
    • Professional development
  • Students expand_more
    • Primary
    • Secondary
    • Post-16
  • Parents expand_more
    • Early Years
    • Primary
    • Secondary
    • Post-16
  • Problem-Solving Schools
  • About NRICH expand_more
    • About us
    • Impact stories
    • Support us
    • Our funders
    • Contact us
  • search

Or search by topic

Number and algebra

  • The Number System and Place Value
  • Calculations and Numerical Methods
  • Fractions, Decimals, Percentages, Ratio and Proportion
  • Properties of Numbers
  • Patterns, Sequences and Structure
  • Algebraic expressions, equations and formulae
  • Coordinates, Functions and Graphs

Geometry and measure

  • Angles, Polygons, and Geometrical Proof
  • 3D Geometry, Shape and Space
  • Measuring and calculating with units
  • Transformations and constructions
  • Pythagoras and Trigonometry
  • Vectors and Matrices

Probability and statistics

  • Handling, Processing and Representing Data
  • Probability

Working mathematically

  • Thinking mathematically
  • Developing positive attitudes
  • Cross-curricular contexts

Advanced mathematics

  • Decision Mathematics and Combinatorics
  • Advanced Probability and Statistics
  • Mechanics
  • Calculus

For younger learners

  • Early Years Foundation Stage

Jluuis or Even Asutguus?

Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level Yellow starYellow starYellow star
  • Problem
  • Getting Started
  • Student Solutions
  • Teachers' Resources

Have you managed to solve the entire Stage 5 Cipher Challenge? Solutions are now closed, but perhaps you want to take up the full challenge.

Successful solvers of this part were

Patrick from Woodbridge School, England
An Anonymous Solver from Somewhere in the US
Joseph from Hong Kong

The solution is:

This was a Caesar shift of seventeen followed by a transposition of rows and columns. This of course retains the letter frequencies of English, which probably helped you decipher this. In this case, the two methods of encryption commute, however this isn't always the case. Apart from some special cases, if we use a vigenere cipher and then a transposition, we will get a different result depending on which order we do them in. Can you find any cases for which these will commute?

You may also like

Snooker

A player has probability 0.4 of winning a single game. What is his probability of winning a 'best of 15 games' tournament?

Snooker Frames

It is believed that weaker snooker players have a better chance of winning matches over eleven frames (i.e. first to win 6 frames) than they do over fifteen frames. Is this true?

Magic Caterpillars

Label the joints and legs of these graph theory caterpillars so that the vertex sums are all equal.

  • Tech help
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Sign up to our newsletter
  • Twitter X logo

The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice.

NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.

University of Cambridge logo NRICH logo