Re: How to program an enigma cipher?


Richard Heathfield wrote:
mensanator@xxxxxxx said:
DarkProtoman wrote:
mensanator@xxxxxxx wrote:

<snip>

You didn't mention any reflector. What does it do and
how hard would it be to implement?

A reflector shifts the letter, then sends it back through the other 5
rotors.

Why would you want to do that?

<quote from Wikipedia>
However, the reflector also gives Enigma the property that
no letter can encrypt to itself. This was a severe conceptual
flaw and a cryptological mistake subsequently exploited
by codebreakers.
</quote>

Perhaps because, if it doesn't have a reflector, it isn't Enigma.

Ok, but the OP did originally ask for four 36-character rotors,
no reflector and no plug-board.

I got the impression he wasn't trying to create an Enigma emulator,
but just wanted Enigma-like algorithms. After all, it's not Enigma
without a plug-board. And it's not Enigma with 36 character rotors.

And when you request that the design be changed to 5 rotors
without mentioning that the fifth rotor didn't rotate (it was in a
fixed position set by hand) you aren't going to get an Enigma
either.

I'll leave him to his C++. That's more than suitable punishment.


--
Richard Heathfield
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29/7/1999
http://www.cpax.org.uk
email: rjh at the above domain, - www.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: How to program an enigma cipher?
    ... A reflector shifts the letter, then sends it back through the other 5 ... Perhaps because, if it doesn't have a reflector, it isn't Enigma. ... Ok, but the OP did originally ask for four 36-character rotors, ... no reflector and no plug-board. ...
    (comp.programming)
  • Re: How to program an enigma cipher?
    ... A reflector shifts the letter, then sends it back through the other 5 ... rotors. ... Perhaps because, if it doesn't have a reflector, it isn't Enigma. ...
    (comp.programming)
  • Re: Mathematics of the Enigma cipher?
    ... A character is mapped to an integer which becomes ... All the Rotors should be advanced ... char val3=R2.GetCharacterIndex; ... I thought the Reflector was fixed. ...
    (comp.programming)
  • Re: Mathematics of the Enigma cipher?
    ... A character is mapped to an integer which becomes ... All the Rotors should be advanced ... char val3=R2.GetCharacterIndex; ... I thought the Reflector was fixed. ...
    (comp.programming)
  • Re: Mathematics of the Enigma cipher?
    ... through the rotors after passing through the reflector, ... I know, but when the reflector sends the current back the other way, do ... such as eliminating the plug-board, using 36 character wheels, ... But keep in mind what "backwards" means. ...
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