Double columnar exhaustive (w7-9) + single columnar exhaustive (w10-12) + keyword columnar (w13-15)
Dragnet v4: Double columnar exhaustive (w7-9) + single columnar exhaustive (w10-12) + keyword columnar (w13-15). 667B+ configurations.
In plain English: Dragnet v4: Double columnar exhaustive (w7-9) + single columnar exhaustive (w10-12) + keyword columnar (w13-15) — using two rounds of columnar transposition applied back-to-back. Every possible combination was tested (667.0 billion configurations) — none produced a valid solution. Best match: 18/24 known letters (statistically expected at this key length, not a real signal).
This approach is ruled out within the tested scope.
NOISE
Tier 2
How to read this record
- Verdict – NOISE (no better than random guessing), INTERESTING (slightly above random, almost certainly coincidence), SIGNAL (statistically unusual, warrants investigation), or FULL MATCH (all 24 known letters correct).
- Confidence Tier – Tier 1 = mathematical proof (permanent). Tier 2 = every possibility tested. Tier 3 = partially tested. Tier 4 = not yet tested.
- Configs Tested – How many different key/parameter combinations were tried.
- Best Score – How many of the 24 known plaintext letters the best attempt matched (out of 24).
- Keystream Consistency (Bean) – Whether the key values at different positions are mathematically consistent with each other.
- Scope Limitations – What this elimination does not rule out.
- Configs Tested
- 667,000,000,000
- Best Score
- 18 / 24 known letters matched · worth investigating (random guess would score: 0.0)
- Keystream Consistency (Bean)
-
FAIL
Checks whether the key values at different positions are mathematically consistent with each other. - Confidence
- Tier 2: Exhaustive search under stated assumptions. Does not eliminate multi-layer variants.
- Truth Tag
[INTERNAL RESULT]- Date Tested
- 2026-02-22
- Script
scripts/_infra/dragnet_v4.py
Scope Limitations
This elimination does not rule out:
- Exhaustive for single columnar w5-12 and double columnar w7-9 width pairs. Keyword-only for w13-15. Does not cover double columnar with w10+ (too many permutations). Does not test non-columnar transpositions.
Assumptions
- Columnar transposition (standard reading order)
- Periodic substitution (Vigenere or Beaufort) at periods 8 and 13
- Direct positional correspondence within each model
Related Research Questions
Reproduce
PYTHONPATH=src python3 -u scripts/_infra/dragnet_v4.py --workers 14Requires the kryptos repo, Python 3.11+, PYTHONPATH=src.
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