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How far do the 24 released letters constrain K4?

Asked 26 Oct 2026 by ·Part of What kind of cipher is K4?·3 answers·0·0 following
Three answers, none aheadNone is ahead yet. See what would settle it.

Where it stands

Three answers have been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. Three are still possible.

Why it matters

EAST NORTHEAST at 22 to 34 and BERLIN CLOCK at 64 to 74 are the only known plaintext; every test of a method runs against them⁠[1]⁠[2].

Answers 3

None of these.
Not tested enough to call either way
Evidence: none yet
Still possible
Evidence: 1 for
Still possible
Evidence: 2 for
Still possible

History

  1. Schwartz: sanborn said in 2014 that solvers should 'delve into that particular clock'.For: Without the method's extra elements (a key from Sanborn's life, a physical device, or the Berlin clock…
  2. Bean puts forward: the cribs, with the K1 to K3 systems and the tableau, are enough in principle to identify the method by…
  3. Bean: bean's tests extract structure from the cribs strong enough to favour some families over others.For: The cribs, with the K1 to K3 systems and the tableau, are enough in principle to identify the method by…
  4. Vergano puts forward: without the method's extra elements (a key from Sanborn's life, a physical device, or the Berlin clock…
  5. Vergano: sanborn's 2025 clues point to the World Clock, a 1986 trip to Egypt and the fall of the Berlin Wall.For: Without the method's extra elements (a key from Sanborn's life, a physical device, or the Berlin clock…
  6. Asked on this site
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