# Cryptex puzzle



## brucio (Oct 13, 2007)

This is my version of the "Cryptex" puzzles...
Maybe not as complicated as the cylinder types....








How many combinations of settings?
2187 times 2187 to the power of 4.
Cannot be opened unless you have the solution.
Bruce


----------



## TwoLeftHands (Dec 12, 2008)

Now isn't that something. You sir are the keeper of the Key's. And a dang GOOD woodworker! So what's the launch code?


----------



## GBM (Dec 18, 2007)

I am not disputing your math...
but would be interested in a description of how those numbers relate to the box locking mechanism... 
thanks, Greg


----------



## brucio (Oct 13, 2007)

Hello Greg.
There are six sliders on each face.
Each slider has to be in one of three positions to release it's corresponding pin on the inner box.
Hence: 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 = 2187 combinations of slider positions on ONE face.
Therefore total number of combinations: 2187 x 2187 x 2187 x 2187.
Since my calculator wouldn't go high enough, I did it roughly on paper, using 2000 instead of 2187.
I got, if I remember, 32 followed by fifteen noughts.
Or
32,000,000,000,000,000.
If you're thinking of making this box, you MUST write down the solution...
I keep my box in the open position, in case I lose my solution.
Bruce


----------



## GBM (Dec 18, 2007)

Looks good to me...I could not tell if it had slides on four sides or three...

You can type in math questions into Google search... which gives you this for those numbers...

2187 times 2187 times 2187 times 2187 = 2.28767925 × 1013

ooooooops.... when copying it to notepad it looks like it can not show the exponent correctly .. that last number is 10 to the 13th power. 

When computing the combinations the question as to whether a factor can be used repeatedly comes in... for example .... if you are dealing with license plates and using only the alphabet with 6 places.. but NOT repeating any... it would be 26 x 25 x 24 x 23 x 22 x 21. If repeating is allowed then it is 26 to the 6th power instead of reducing one per place. 
It seems like it would be a good safety plan to make an emergency open latch which could be accessed by putting a magnet to the side of the box somewhere... LOL...


----------



## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

Very interesting. 

Properly scaled and soundproofed, this would be a nifty baby safe/crib. Much better than super-glueing Velcro to their backsides, and sticking them on the wall.


----------



## GBM (Dec 18, 2007)

Ralph Barker said:


> Properly scaled and soundproofed, this would be a nifty baby safe/crib. Much better than super-glueing Velcro to their backsides, and sticking them on the wall.


Careful... someone will link you up with the famous psychologist B.F. Skinner... famous for his ' Skinner Box' ... which he made to put his daughter in... 
She was sensitive to temperature changes or something like that..so he engineered a solution.... but people associated it with his isolation boxes used for restricting input stimulus in teaching animals ... like the famous chickens playing ping pong...
LOL


----------



## brucio (Oct 13, 2007)

Oops-I went one side too far.
It should be 16,000,000,000,000.
If you made a box with five sides, it *would* be 32,000,000,000,000,000 combinations.
Or a box with six sides...
I think I'll stop now: my head hurts.
Bruce


----------

