What "Purplehunt" Means, and What it Could Mean for YouObviously, the name, Purplehunt, is made up of two terms: purple, and hunt. If you are familiar with the history of cryptography, you will know that "purple" signifies something far more significant than the relative degree of light reflection.
It is a fact that the single most historically significant "puzzle machine" was known simply as "Purple."
That name, "Purple," was code name attributed to the machine that produced the Japanese most secret code system during World War II.
Historians acknowledge that the concerted (and eventually successful) American effort at solving this seemingly inscrutable Japanese code represents the single most outstanding (and historically significant) feat of cryptanalysts for all time.
The Purple Machine was actually an adaptation of the German "Enigma Machine." The Japanese referred to their machine by two names: "Typewriter ’97," and "J." The former appellation was descriptive. Purple was constructed using two electric Underwood typewriters. The "97" represented the Japanese year, calendar, 2597, which was the original date of the machine’s introduction to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, 1937. The later name, "J," stood for the "J" series of Japanese codes.
The machine worked like this. When a key was struck on the first electric typewriter, the current would flow out of that typewriter into a plug board, something like the old telephone company switchboards we see in movies from the era. From there the current flowed not into the second typewriter, but rather through one of four circuit wheels.
Each of these circuit wheels could turn on the assembly, allowing for a seemingly endless variation of plaintext/ciphertext variations. Adding to complication of the code was the fact that four wheels were also shifted continually by this sophisticated ciphertext machine.
The relative positions of the wheels on the assembly at any given time, and the sequence (and frequency of) wheel switching, was also included in the ciphertext of the document by way of a "key."
The cipher Purple produced was of exceptional difficulty. As the keys clicked, the wheels turned and switched, the resulting ciphertext would typically replace a single letter with five different letters in a single rotation. Perhaps hundreds of thousands of letters would be typed before the machine would return to its original position.
Impossible as it might sound, through concerted effort (and probably a lot of coffee and perspiration), William Friedman (called the "World’s Greatest Cryptologist") cracked the Japanese "J" code, and solved Purple. (Interested in reading more about the amazing work of William Friedman, and others? Then read "The Code Breakers," by David Kahn (New York: Scribner, 1967.))Now that we all know what "purple" means, when we appendage hunt to it, we should quickly understand why I chose the name "Purplehunt" for this site.
Purplehunt means the search for hidden answers. Indeed, Purplehunt is the launching pad for missiles of the mind.
If you are bored with predictability, if you like to think that you can think, if you like a challenge, and if you are convinced that you can play with the big boys; then perhaps you are ready to give Purplehunt a go.
Accept my challenge and see if you can beat me.
Purplehunt will provide you with an ongoing series of games, puzzles and treasure hunts. As each new contest is introduced, the rules for solving that contest will accompany that introduction. In all cases, the first successful sleuth will win a nice prize.
... Interested in learning more? Well... let me get you started. I have two big contests, and four mini-contests, going on right now.
My big contests include a treasure hunt and a major puzzle.
While I understand that a treasure hunt seems very regional in nature, I will assure you that a very clever sleuth in Paris, London or Rome (or for that matter, Chicago) could solve the clues, and find the "treasure. "...And consequently win the big prize (in the case of this treasure hunt, the prize is $1000, in the form of a bank check for US currency).
In the past, my treasure hunts have attracted not only local followers, but I have had players from as far away as Boston and San Francisco.
In these earlier bw (before web) contests I placed the clues in various newspapers. People visiting this area from many different regions of the country would become players upon learning about the contest.
They would then arrange to have the newspapers mailed to them all over the country. I was told by a local reporter that one particular lady drove all the way from Milwaukee to Grand Rapids every week just to challenge me.
At any rate, even if you are not able to call West Michigan your home, give my treasure hunt a try. It will be good practice for you. Not only would you be eligible to win one of the mini-prizes, but you will be able to see how I think. That will be useful in solving future contests.
If you can solve even one clue, it just might serve as the key to cracking my mind, and solving one of my major contests in the future. So, accept my challenge, even if you now only regard your first Purplehunt contest as "Beat Mike 101." Try to solve my clues, if not my contest.
In order to make the treasure hunt more intriguing, I have tied directly into the clues for the treasure additional mini-contests. When ever I deem that a clue is particularly clever, or obscure, I elevate it to the lever of a "WC" (weighted clue). It then has its own contest number, as well as its own prize.
The other current major contest is my six-layer "Big Puzzle." Again, as in the case of the treasure hunt, mini-contests will continually emerge from individual clues for this contest.
The prize for the first successful solution to the Big Puzzle is $100 (in the form of a bank check for US currency).
In all cases, in addition to winning very desirable prizes, contest winners will be profiled in the Purplehunt Hall of Fame.
The four most recent categories that I currently am providing (which started as mini-contests) are intended to be permanent. They are:
1--The Ancient Text Puzzle
2--The Impossible Puzzle
3--The Oops Puzzle
4--The HTML Puzzle
...And, as I indicated earlier, various other occasional mini-contests will emerge in conjunction with what I consider to be particularly intriguing clues for the other contests.
Please know that there is no cost for you to compete.
