# The Security to the Party [Part 30] [#1]

Thus is a multi-part party installment.

A famous host is storing his party recipes on a data server, and rumor has it that the passwords are in his house. He has another party today without his famous recipes, but it gives you a chance to steal the password. You and your friend start spying on the guests. Both of you need to go in as you need to bypass security, (part 2).

Guard: 1 Guest: 13
Guard: 3 Guest: 6
Guard: 125 Guest: 26
Guard: 31 Guest: 19


At this point your friend is spotted and is called on.

Guard: 9 Friend: 12


Surprisingly he gets in in. However, he still needs you to get the passwords. The entrance is about to close so you come out. Your number is 12, what should you reply?

Note: No codes or ciphers are used. Not dependent on day, or anything.

Hint: Morse code cryptogram now solved!
Hint: Vigenere text cipher now solved!

Convert to something computer-based
All guests have an electronic device with no calculator...

Bonus Guests:

You pretend to go to the nearby restroom. You hear these responses:
Guard: 90 Guest: 24
Guard: 91 Guest: 25

• Why should you go in, your friend will get the password in any case, now that he is in
– skv
Nov 14 '14 at 19:08
• @skv Fixed, I hope someone will answer soon. Nov 14 '14 at 19:10
• is there any hint? Nov 17 '14 at 14:55
• So tantalising... I know this, but I can't quite remember what the algorithm is and where I've seen it before! Nov 17 '14 at 16:30
• @user2324360 Soon, soon. Nov 17 '14 at 21:03

18

Explanation...

If you convert the ASCII character to its decimal value and add the digits

1 => 49 => 4+9=13
3 => 51 => 5+1=6
90 => 57, 48 => 5+7+4+8=24
91 => 57, 49 => 5+7+4+9=25
12 => 49, 50 => 4+9+5+0=18

• Hmmm, unfortunately I get 26 for 125 using this method. Maybe that is a product of poor math skills and no calculator? Nov 20 '14 at 15:16
• Great Job! You should also add that 9 => 57 => 5+7=12. However, I agree 125 => 49, 50, 53 => 4+9+5+0+5+3=26. Can't figure out what that means...
– Leo
Nov 20 '14 at 18:46
• @Warlord099 Correct... The 26 thing was a typo. Bounty awarded. Nov 20 '14 at 21:09

The binary conversion of the two number, the one asked by the guard and the one answered by the guests, has the same parity alas the same number of 1 (e.g. 3 is 11 and 6 is 110, 125 is 1111101 and 24 is 11000). My logic is really simple, yet I had to try since you referred to computers in the morse code cryptogram :)

• This is close, but try converting it to something else, hint coming soon. Nov 19 '14 at 22:35

You have got the following questions and answers: Guard: 1 Guest: 13
Guard: 3 Guest: 6
Guard: 9 Guest: 12
Guard: 31 Guest: 19
Guard: 90 Guest: 24
Guard: 91 Guest: 25
Guard: 125 Guest: 19
If you want to know the answer of the guard when he is saying: 31. You are combining the 3 and the 1 question together and sum them up. So question 3 + 1 = 13 + 6 = 19. to answer the question of 91 you combine 9 and 1 which are 12 + 13 = 25. We need to answer the question "12" so we need the digits "1" and "2". We know 1 which is 13 so we only need 2. We dont know 2 but we can calculate it by looking at the question 125. 125 contains the digits "1", "2" and "5". We know 1 which is 13 and 19 - 13 = 6. I almost know the answer but need to think a >!little bit more about it.

Update!

Now Quynguyen gave us the hints I tried and combine the answers of the 2 other puzzles. I used a vigenere cipher and entered the folowing: Plain: Quynguyen Key: Computers output was: nflxlatmu some letters of the alphabet are reflecting with the numbers like f is the sixth letter so the answer was six. I think I'm close. I hope someone solves this because I want the answer to this puzzle!

• Start every line with >! for spoilers Nov 19 '14 at 11:08
• Nice logic, but no Nov 19 '14 at 12:41
• Did you actually read the updated hint? It is the digital root of something. That something deals with computers... Nov 20 '14 at 12:37
• @QuyNguyen2013 Sorry that I didn't read it. I didn't knew it was updated only saw those hints Nov 20 '14 at 13:45

I think the answer is

18

Edit- okay, someone else posted while I was trying to log in. I had the right answer but was using a completely different method that was ultimately not consistent. Oh well.

Edit 2-

I found the digital root of the original number (ie, added all the digits) and compared them with the answers. I noted that two numbers both were 9 (9 and 90) and that their answers were 12 and 24. The difference between the two is the number of initial digits present, and noting that the difference between the answers is 12, I applied the same logic to the other initial answer that had 3 (which is the same as sum of the digits of the 12 that needs a response), added 12 to the 6 that was the answer to 3, and got 18. This doesn't explain anything else in the problem though, it's a complete coincidence that I got the right answer.

• I didn't give the -1, but I would still like to see your method. Nov 20 '14 at 15:10