What is Money?

Crypto-Payments

January 2, 2014

Context
As the debate around Bitcoin and other digital and crypto-currencies continue into the New Year, I would like to offer some thoughts around Crypto-Payments with a puzzle. In thinking about factoring large numbers, the mining process of Bitcoin, one needs to compute. That is, one needs to find the unique cryptographic keys, prime numbers, for each of around 21 Million Bitcoins. Estimates are that it will be 2140 before they run out. Bitcoins get harder to find as the number remaining gets fewer. The time gets exponentially more so, in fact, as the density gets lower asymptotically to Lots of Number Theory in this. But forget that for the time being.

Where can one start to understand a simple puzzle in cryptography? Lets try amusement. We do Cryptograms in the paper as well as Sudoku and Crossword Puzzles. These puzzle pages and the comics are the only reason to buy a physical paper anymore. It comes down to amusement. It is my firm belief that humanity would be much better off if more people were numerate. Literacy seems to be slipping away, as well as numeracy. We need to stop that!

The Puzzle
David is away at school to study mathematics, but instead is having a heigh-ho time. Sol, his father, tires of sending him money without him working for it. When David sends a text send more money asking, Sol counters with the following e-mail reply:
Dear Son, If you wish to have me send more money, then send me the answer to this cryptogram where each letter is substituted by a unique digit 0-9. Also, tell me how you solved it step by step. Trial and error is unacceptable. I will then send you $ MONEY SEND + MORE ====== MONEY As ever, your loving, cryptic father, Dad

If you were David, how would you respond? An answer appears in the following pages.

Copyright 2014, David M. Sherr

Annals of a Running Dog

Page |1

What is Money?

Crypto-Payments

January 2, 2014

Solution
Lets take it to solution in 5 steps, the fifth being a sprint to the finish. First create a worksheet template:

S M M O

E O N

N R E

D E Y

S E N D M O R Y

The rows underneath the Code Lines have the unassigned variables. The assignment table is on the right. '0" is the default blank evaluation on all cells. If you want to try your hand (er, head) at this, print this page and try to solve it before reading on.

Copyright 2014, David M. Sherr

Annals of a Running Dog

Page |2

What is Money?

Crypto-Payments

January 2, 2014

Step 1
Where to start? From the left appears to be as good a place as any. Notice that the sum (MONEY) is one digit longer than the addends (SEND and MORE), so 'M' can only be '1'.

S M 1 O

E O N

N R E

D E Y

M 1

S E N D M O R Y

Step 2
Next, notice that to get a carry of '1', 'S' must be either '8' or '9' and thus 'O' must be '0'.

S M 1 O 0

E O 0 N

N R E

D E Y

M 1

S E N D M O R Y

1 0

Copyright 2014, David M. Sherr

Annals of a Running Dog

Page |3

What is Money?

Crypto-Payments

January 2, 2014

Step 3
In the 'E','O','N' column, adding '0' to 'E' yields a different digit 'N' which means that 'N' is one higher than 'E' and that a one must be carried from the 'N','R','E' column since 'N' cannot be '0' as 'O' is '0' and cannot produce a carry. Thus, 'S' is '9' since there will be no carry from the 'E','O','N' column.

M 1

S 9 M 1 O 0

E O 0 N

N R E

D E Y

S E N D M O R Y

1 0

Can you figure it out from here? Print this page and try it.

Copyright 2014, David M. Sherr

Annals of a Running Dog

Page |4

What is Money?

Crypto-Payments

January 2, 2014

Step 4
Since there is a carry from the 'N','R','E' column, and 'E' is one less than 'N', 'R' must be '8' with a carry coming from the 'D','E','Y' column. '9' is used.

M 1

S 9 M 1 O 0

E O 0 N

N R 8 E

D E Y

S E N D M O R Y

1 0 8

Half done! The next four assignments are very closely bound together in constraints. Therefore, we run the logic in deciphering them together. The next Step is the last. Print this page and see if you can finish it on your own before proceeding.

Copyright 2014, David M. Sherr

Annals of a Running Dog

Page |5

What is Money?

Crypto-Payments

January 2, 2014

Step 5
D' and 'E' are the only independent variables left as 'N' is one more than 'E' and 'Y' derives from 'D' and 'E'. With a carry from the 'D','E','Y' column, 'D' and 'E' must each be between 3 and 7, inclusive. 'D' as '3' or '4' yields 'Y' as '0' or '1', resp., already used. Similarly, 'E' cannot be '3' or '4'. 'D' as '6' is impossible as 'E' would have to be '3' or '4' since '5' or '7' would not allow 'E' to be one less than 'N'. 'D' as '5' would require 'E' to be '6' making 'Y' as '1'. So, 'D' can only be '7' and 'E' is '5'. QED. SOLVED!

M 1

S 9 M 1 O 0

E 5 O 0 N 6

N 6 R 8 E 5

D 7 E 5 Y 2

S E N D M O R Y

9 5 6 7 1 0 8 2

Commentary
Writing this up January 6-9, 2014, after four days of thinking about it, describing the solution process is taking four days. It is tougher to explain yourself than to solve this problem. English and Math! Hah! Did the solution the second day using the initial reasoning through Steps 1-3 finishing with four assignments of eight as semi-trial and error. I was impatient. But to get the money I needed to explain it. While semi-trial and error in the end could almost be justified as fulfilling the contract in name, the spirit demanded a full logical solution Step 4 coming immediately and Step 5 evolving when I formalized the solution in a spreadsheet. I made a mind tool to help guide the problem. First setting up the problem and then got to the result in an orderly fashion. If you know a better method of solution, please let me know! dmsherr@gmail.com.

Copyright 2014, David M. Sherr

Annals of a Running Dog

Page |6