Codebusters

2024 University of Chicago Science Olympiad Invitational

Div B

Team Name: _______________________

Participant Names: ___________________________________

Team Number: ______

Raw Score: _________/_________

Rank: __________

Time remaining (if applicable): ______________

Written by Amelia and Jeffrey
 Science Olympiad — UChicago Invitational Division B
Test
Names of participants: (Please print neatly)

School Name:

Check your team: Varsity JV1 JV2 JV3

Warning: Do not open this packet until given permission to do so.

Note: There are useful notes after this page.

Scoring: Time to solve first problem: ________________________________ (use to calculate Bonus below)
 Question Value Incorrect letters Deduction Score
Timed 100
1 300
2 400
3 200
4 375
5 250
6 300
7 300
8 450
9 400
10 350
11 250
12 300
13 350
14 300
15 200
16 250
17 100
18 250
19 50
20 300
21 200
22 300
23 150
24 150
25 500

Timed Bonus Timed:

Final Score
The following tables might be useful during the event.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M AAAAA A ABBAA N
A,B N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z AAAAB B ABBAB O
C,D O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z N AAABA C ABBBA P
E,F P Q R S T U V W X Y Z N O AAABB D ABBBB Q
G,H Q R S T U V W X Y Z N O P AABAA E BAAAA R
I,J R S T U V W X Y Z N O P Q AABAB F BAAAB S
K,L S T U V W X Y Z N O P Q R AABBA G BAABA T
M,N T U V W X Y Z N O P Q R S AABBB H BAABB U/V
O,P U V W X Y Z N O P Q R S T ABAAA I/J BABAA W
Q,R V W X Y Z N O P Q R S T U ABAAB K BABAB X
S,T W X Y Z N O P Q R S T U V ABABA L BABBA Y
U,V X Y Z N O P Q R S T U V W ABABB M BABBB Z
W,X Y Z N O P Q R S T U V W X
Y,Z Z N O P Q R S T U V W X Y

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Z Y X W V U T S R Q P O N M L K J I H G F E D C B A

1 3 5 7 9 11 15 17 19 21 23 25
1 9 21 15 3 19 7 23 11 5 17 25
Frequency Table of English letters:
E - 12.51% S - 6.54% C - 3.06% G - 1.96% K - 0.67%
T - 9.25% R - 6.12% U - 2.71% W - 1.92% X - 0.19%
A - 8.04% H - 5.49% M - 2.53% Y - 1.73% J - 0.16%
O - 7.60% L - 4.14% F - 2.30% B - 1.54% Q - 0.11%
I - 7.26% D - 3.99% P - 2.00% V - 0.99% Z - 0.09%
N - 7.09%

Frequency Table of Spanish letters:

E - 14.08% I - 5.98% M - 3.08% Y - 1.09% Z - 0.47%
A - 12.16% L - 5.24% P - 2.89% V - 1.05% Ñ - 0.17%
O - 9.20% D - 4.67% B - 1.49% G - 1.00% X - 0.14%
S - 7.20% T - 4.60% H - 1.18% F - 0.69% K - 0.11%
N - 6.83% U - 4.69% Q - 1.11% J - 0.52% W - 0.04%
R - 6.41% C - 3.87%

For the purposes of cryptograms it is customary to treat n and ñ as distinct letters, but a and á are the same letter. Likewise for e and é, and i
and í. In other words, all the accent marks get amputated when working with cryptograms. Also, while some older Spanish dictionaries
consider ch, ll, and rr, to be their own letters—this has fallen out of modern usage. Accordingly, “burro” is considered as five letters: “b-u-r-r-o”
and not as four letters “b-u-rr-o.”

Morse Code:
A ●– F ●●–● K –●– P ●––● U ●●–
B –●●● G ––● L ●–●● Q ––●– V ●●●–
C –●–● H ●●●● M –– R ●–● W ●––
D –●● I ●● N –● S ●●● X –●●–
E ● J ●––– O ––– T – Y –●––
Z ––●●

0 ––––– 2 ●●––– 4 ●●●●– 6 –●●●● 8 –––●●

1 ●–––– 3 ●●●–– 5 ●●●●● 7 ––●●● 9 ––––●

● E – T
●● I ●– A –● N –– M
●●● S ●●– U ●–● R ●–– W –●● D –●– K ––● G ––– O
●●●● H ●●●– V ●●–● F ●–●● L ●––● P ●––– J
–●●● B –●●– X –●–● C –●–– Y ––●● Z ––●– Q
––––– 0 ●–––– 1 ●●––– 2 ●●●–– 3 ●●●●– 4
●●●●● 5 –●●●● 6 ––●●● 7 –––●● 8 ––––● 9
UChicago Invitational Division B Test School:__________
 Pageyour
Timed Question [100 points] When you have solved this question, raise 1 hand. When you have solved it, raise your hand so that the time
can be recorded and the solution checked.

UDCOWHVZPHVMDCJ, FDZ XHIB JVHWVBQ VXMJ VBJV! VXB

CBLV TDWVF RMCZVBJ YMPP KB VXB RDJV TZC FDZ XHIB XHQ

HPP QHF.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Frequency 9 5 6 4 8 2 6 1 1 4 1 5 3 2 2 1 13 3 6 1 5
Replacement
 UChicago Invitational Division B Test

1) [300 points] The following cryptarithm provides the key to decoding the values 671367. What do they decode to?

Values to decode for solution

6 7 1 3 6 7

Cryptarithm formula 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

C O D E S C

D
C O D E S
+ E
U C I S O I

2) [400 points] Solve this K1 patristocrat with a reference to a novel by JD Salinger and ending in the word “spring.”

JWOMK QGXCE QAQEX AAJQP MIBQA AQMPJ WRBLQ OMBOL

QAJWB LQAGQ NXBLB LQPCO TKMWP BLQIJ KLEJU UNQIJ

WQBLJ KKYAJ WR

K1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Frequency 8 8 2 3 2 3 9 5 8 5 2 4 4 14 2 1 2 6 3 1
Replacement
 UChicago Invitational
Page 2 Division B Test School:__________

3) [200 points] Decode this affine cipher of a line of Macbeth with a = 3 and b = 6.

V G E F E I V W O N G T P V W O N E I V G E F

4) [375 points] Solve this K2 cipher about the “dynamic” science.

UZ ZUZPQ NOFJK GUCXCND, PQK YUPCIQCZJOUF TFR RFUJ PC

GK PQK HCTKOQCARK CM PQK IKXX. JC DCA FNOKK?

Replacement

K2 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Frequency 2 10 2 5 2 1 2 4 10 1 3 4 6 6 3 2 6 3 1 4
 UChicago Invitational
Page 3 Division B Test

5) [250 points] Decrypt Complete Columnar Cipher. The plaintext has FIREFLIES somewhere in it.

TEEFE WEFAE EAIRA IELTE HMCIS HBUNM RNEEL CAAIX

ASOLO ATDKX EYSFL HUNCX RPFIF RICLX

Answer: _______________________________________________

6) [300 points] Solve this aristocrat which is only loosely based on my own personal experience.

QLXZ VNOZO XFUZ KJZV XDY'V TOV FYTGU OYDJTN FV

APDJXZ. CFAQ LY SU XFU BO BDJPX ZROYX NDJGZ UOPPLYT

FV VNOS.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Frequency 2 2 1 5 6 2 5 1 3 4 8 4 2 1 2 4 5 7 7 6 7
Replacement
 UChicago Invitational
Page 4 Division B Test School:__________

7) [300 points] Solve this cool and nutty cryptarithm. It provides the key to decoding the values 46364 6226 4631 6 45023. What do they
decode to?

Values to decode for solution

4 6 3 6 4 6 2 2 6 4 6 3 1 6 4 5 0 2 3

Cryptarithm formula 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

N E A T O A

D
A L M O N D
+ E
P E A N U T L

U
 UChicago Invitational
Page 5 Division B Test

8) [450 points] Solve this aristocrat in Spanish about my state of mind on cold mornings.

XJ OJG JÑ MRSÑXH, MQJH ZRJ WSB IST MHÑJDHT JÑ

MWLMSPH ZRJ FJQTHÑST, FJQH JTAH ÑH JT RÑ FJÑTSILJÑAH

XJTSPQJXSKCJ.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N Ñ O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Frequency 2 1 1 1 3 1 10 2 17 1 2 5 9 1 2 4 4 8 8 2 4 2
Replacement

9) [400 points] Solve this baconian that is definitely not about Chicago in the winter.

RAINY WALTZ WINDY LIGHT THORN STRAY ABYSS QUIET GHOUL

PHASE ABYSS EARTH WALTZ FIEND COCOA ELVES DWARF VEINS

WALTZ EERIE DWARF ASHES VALVE CLOUD NIGHT DROPS UTTER

ARROW DIRTY
 UChicago Invitational
Page 6 Division B Test School:__________

10) [350 points] Decode this sentence that is about Shakespeare and uses internet slang (very badly). It's also K2 because I am not that
much of a monster.

OCN, Z'E CSMQZRU FISVTFX RZUXF MRQ FXSK EMYS MVV

FXSDS AVNFD MRQ AIR SHSCKNRS WGDF TNC FXS VNVD.

Replacement

K2 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Frequency 2 4 4 2 8 1 1 2 2 5 5 1 3 6 10 2 2 6 1 5 1 3

11) [250 points] Decode this baconian, but don't trust what it says.

HIIHHHIHHHHIIHHHHIHHIHHIHIHIIHHIIHHHIHHHHIIHHHHIHHHII

IHHIIHIHIHHHHIIHHIHHIHHIIHHHIHHHHIIHHHHIHHHIIIHHHIHHI

HHHHHHHIHHHIHHHIIHHIHHIHHIIHIHHIHIHIIIHHHIHHHIIHIHIII

HHIHIHHHIHHHHHHHIHHHHHHIHHHHIIIIHHIIHIHIIHHHHHHIIHH
 UChicago Invitational
Page 7 Division B Test

12) [300 points] Decode this sentence from someone who took the wrong lessons from some classic literature by Ray Bradbury.

GXLBNFLNOR 451 XUZU IU UKEN HNBJ VNNY PINUROKFU. GKB

OFURXFSN, OU DOQ RKKRLYXURN SKFRBKTTOFQ KIB EOFVU?

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Frequency 5 1 2 7 2 1 3 1 8 3 9 7 1 2 7 2 2 10 2 4 2 1
Replacement

13) [350 points] Decode this complete columnar which contains the word CONSTABLES.

FDSOS RESRA NHUET SOXBN LNENF ISRDE TMTOA XICSW

OIRLX GOSER CEWXE ABDHA STRRS ALTMM NEIET UEORE

Answer: _______________________________________________
 UChicago Invitational
Page 8 Division B Test School:__________

14) [300 points] Yet another misguided lesson from classic literature, this time from Harper Lee.

BDT XUK IGA MQDRJ, QDKVITUA JD JNU TIQEMJ AUVTUMMEDG-

UTI MDRJN, BDDJZIOO EM GDJ HUTS AIGCUTDRM.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Frequency 4 2 1 10 3 4 1 6 7 2 7 2 2 3 3 1 7 8 2 1 1
Replacement

15) [200 points] Decode this Porta Cipher with a keyword of YEAST.

H W R V F F T J W K Q C L F L Z S Q K F M M H I X F T N Z

Z C F T Q , K T T Z F I Q W B U N G J B L I X M N O A U N Y

K N B S G F Q Z G R .

.
 UChicago Invitational
Page 9 Division B Test

16) [250 points] Decode this cipher that was encrypted using a K2 alphabet (and take the advice to heart).

NXVK NFB SOFS OFYYPWKNN PN UPRK F GESSKILUB, GES P

SOPWR PS PN VXIK UPRK F YIFBPWM VFWSPN. UXXR FS SOPN

IKFUUB HXXU YIFBPWM VFWSPN P QENS LXEWJ!

Replacement

K2 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Frequency 5 4 11 2 1 5 1 7 2 2 10 4 14 1 4 12 7 4 7 7 4

17) [100 points] Solve this Caersar cipher, you know the drill.

Q L W V ' B S V W E E P I B K I M A I Z E I A B P Q V S Q V O ,

' ,

J C B J Z C B C A K W C T L P I D M S Q T T M L P Q U R C A B

N W Z P Q A E M I S K Z G X B W O Z I X P G A S Q T T A .

.
 UChicago Invitational
Page 10Division B Test School:__________

18) [250 points] Decode this fractionated morse cipher that begins CONG.

H C L I J Q B N P M F Q X E K V P D

D H N L R Y G Q P S D

H C L L T B F U M V D

G W N M X G B C C I P

Z A W M S A C E V U G M Q D

G B M R U

Replacement
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● – – – – – – – – – × × × × × × × ×
Morse
● ● ● – – – × × × ● ● ● – – – × × × ● ● ● – – – × ×
fraction
● – × ● – × ● – × ● – × ● – × ● – × ● – × ● – × ● –

19) [50 points] This is an atbash cipher, and the points reflect the fact that I never did division B codebusters.

G R N V R H Z Y V Z F G R U F O G S R M T . R G T L V H

H O L D V I D S V M D V Z I V B L F M T Z M W M V V W R G G L .

.
 UChicago Invitational
Page 11Division B Test

20) [300 points] Here is an aristocrat about physics. You should probably try to decode it since that the the point of this all.

NXZSPDE XJP SGD NXZOL, DVPR XJP EONQIR DVP KSOWPJEP

LVGGEOSZ DG ONQIPNPSD DVP LJXMR OFPXE GY

NXDVPNXDOLOXSE.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Frequency 9 6 1 5 2 4 1 4 1 7 8 12 2 3 6 5 1 9 1 3
Replacement

21) [200 points] The following advice needs to be decoded with the Nihilist Substitution Cipher with a keyword of NIETZSCHE and polybius
key of PHILOSOPHY. Good luck, this seems like a bit of a pain.

1 2 3 4 5
1
2
3
4
5

73 26 53 70 106 42 46 45 76 74 45 85 58 69 35 48 54 63

93 58 45 59 68 66 48 56 45 65 55 45 66 96 74 38 57 44 64 28 83 89 88 65 38 44 74 73 34 .
 UChicago Invitational
Page 12Division B Test School:__________

22) [300 points] Solve this aristocrat about Roman mythology and a notable space agency.

XZJDC YTDZU LWYTSQSXZAHQQW NHI UDQHYZSCBTZE, Z HL

BFUEUZBDI CHBH BYZQQ KHCYDI YS BDCI OFCS YS OFEZYDU.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Frequency 1 6 6 7 3 3 7 4 1 1 2 1 2 6 6 3 5 2 2 8 9
Replacement

23) [150 points] Another baconian hear to give you points.

PBBPBBBPPPBBPBBBBPBBBBBBBPBBBBBPBBBPBBBPBBPPPBPPBPBPB

PPBBPBBPBBPBBPPBPPBBPBBBPPPBBPBBPBBPBBBPPPPBBBBBBPBBB

BPBBPBBBPBPBPPBBBBBBPBPBBPBPBBBPBBPBBBPPBBPBBBBBPBPPB

PBPPBBBBPBBPBBBPBPBBBBPPBBPBPPBBPPBPPBBPPPBBBBBBBBPBP

PBPBBBPPPBPPB
 UChicago Invitational
Page 13Division B Test

24) [150 points] Decode this affine cipher with the only quote of this test. It is from Marcel Proust. a=9, b=4

X A B E Z A R G T Y I O Y C K O F T A G A T A N O F

O E B Z M .

25) [500 points] Solve this patristocrat about equality in my city.

MCQSF MLRBS CFSIJ RCIWC IPIWV IELGR VQEVI LRXWI

WMCFW AEFOQ XWFML CIWCI PGRVQ EUXQW FPQEM W

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Frequency 1 1 7 5 6 2 9 1 4 5 1 3 6 5 3 1 4 9 3
Replacement