“A13.3: the 31 saved 24-of-24 readings of eight experiments put through the 14-test structure battery, against the same experiments' frozen searches run unchanged on fresh scrambled copies, with masked plants through two of the climbs”
A13.3 (Stage 2, step 3, issue #75). The 31 readings that put all 24 known letters in place and were saved in raw.json (0034: 18, 0035: 3, 0048: 3, 0120: 2, 0137: 2, 0140, 0142, 0148: 1 each) were thrown away on their quadgram score. Here they go through tools/a13_structure.py's 14 tests, each against the same experiment's frozen attack.py run unchanged on fresh copies built as that experiment built them (tools/a13_check.py pass1-regen, seed 1300, begun 2026-10-21 and finished 2026-10-24 before this run). Pre-registered 2026-10-21 in reports/a13-structure-check.md: 112 cells, flag at p < 0.05/112, candidates replicated sequentially on fresh copies (seed 3113). New in this run: masked planted messages through 0140's and 0142's climbs, to say what a 'nothing found' means for climbed readings. Rerun of 0215, which errored: the copy tool gave 0148's climb all 24 known letters where 0148 drops the one at place 33, so its copies had no reading; the tool is fixed and 0148's 12 copies regenerated.
Some earlier searches produced readings with all 24 known letters right but the rest gibberish, and threw them away because they did not look like English. If Sanborn disguised the Englishthe message The 97 letters of English that Jim Sanborn wrote and enciphered. before enciphering it (writing it backwardsa mirror Reading or writing the text from the end to the start., or with X between words), the right reading would look like gibberish too. Here we test those saved readings for 14 kinds of hidden pattern, and run the very same searches on scrambled copiesa shuffled control The same experiment run on the carved letters shuffled into a random order. of the carving to see how much pattern luck alone produces. We also hide a few disguised messages of our own, run the same searches on them, and check whether the pattern tests would have noticed.
Words in the margin are defined on the glossary page.
1.1
The method at work
The carved letters go in at the top; the reading comes out at the bottom.
the idea
If Sanborn disguised the English before enciphering it, the right reading would look like gibberish and would have been thrown away. 31 such readings with all 24 known letters were saved by eight experiments.
the check
Each reading through 14 pattern tests (backwards, every nth letter, X as a space, letter counts in any order...), against the very same search run on fresh scrambled copies; masked messages planted through two of the searches.
the bound
K4 led every copy in 2 of 112 comparisons, about what luck gives (9.2); 1 of them met a fresh copy at or above K4, 0 flags. Masked plants found: 0142 none 2 of 3, 0142 reversal 0 of 3, 0142 X spaces 0 of 3, 0142 X every kth 0 of 3, 0140 none 1 of 3, 0140 reversal 1 of 3, 0140 X spaces 0 of 3, 0140 X every kth 0 of 3.
2
Experiment lineage
What this experiment was built on, from the lineage page: 13 experiments before it, back to the root of its line. Its number is in bold.
keptreverted, in its family's colour×error or timeoutreverted under today's rulesbuilt on a parent in the same familybuilt on a parent in another family
3
Best candidate against the known letters
Laid out as the copper carries K4: OBKR ends the line that finishes K3, then three lines of 31. Left, as carved, the 24 known places in accent. Right, the candidate: a known place it gets right is an accent cell, one it misses is outlined. This is the candidate with most known letters right; none passed every gate.
in: the copper, always the same
as carved, 97 letters; the 24 known places in accent
ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?OBKR
UOXOGHULBSOLIFBBWFLRVQQPRNGKSSO
TWTQSJQSSEKZZWATJKLUDIAWINFBNYP
VTTMZFPKWGDKZXTJCDIGKUHUAUEKCAR
OBKR ends the line that finishes K3, then three lines of 31
out: the candidate
every place read; known places in accent, misses outlined
ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?RPRE
SIDENTHESTHERESANEASTNORTHEASTD
ERSTHEPRESINTHEREARENTHERETHBER
LINCLOCKERESIDEDINGTHETHEREARTI
checked: the known letters in place, and the reading turns back into the copper
4
How the score is made
The loss of the best candidate, part by part. Zero is solved.
Known letters missed
0 of 24, ten points each
0.00
English
the 73 free letters score -3.28; English text scores -3.6
0.00
Key
461 bits to write it down (key words are cheap, arbitrary letters 4.7 bits each); each 60 beyond 60 costs a point
6.68
Loss
of 240, the worst possible
6.68 2.8%
5
Walkthrough, by hand
Redo the method on a few letters with pencil and paper.
Take one saved reading, say 0142's, with all 24 known letters in place.
Score it on each of 14 pattern tests: read backwards, every nth letter, X as a word space, letter counts in any order, and so on.
Scramble the carved letters twelve times, keeping only scrambles the same search can fit, and run the same search on each.
Score each scramble's reading on the same 14 tests.
On each test, see whether the carving's reading beats all twelve scrambles; with 112 such comparisons about nine will by luck, so each one that does is rerun against fresh scrambles until one catches up.
the worksheet: the first steps by hand, on squared paper
6
Worked example, generated
The same steps run by the code on the real letters.
Family, key space, the constraint under test, and the clues it reads.
A13 (knowledge/12-assumptions.md): if the English was masked before the keyed stage (C4(a), Scheidt 2005 and 2015: 'I masked the English language', 'more than one stage'; C19, X and Q as stops), the right decryption is masked English and its quadgram score sits with the copies'. The readings tested are the climbed completions of F1's sampled cells: 0034 (periodic key 27-29 and 53-95 on standard/KRYPTOS tables, 24 conventions), 0035 and 0048 (27-29, keyword-mixed tables), 0120, 0137, 0140, 0142 (one free alphabet, Beaufort form, 23 and 26) and 0148 (K1/K2's added form, length 19, slip at 33). Statistic: for each experiment and test, the best value over a text's readings; K4's rank among the copies' (ties against K4). Copies: plain shuffles (0034, 0035, 0048; 10 each), shuffles passing 0119's exact decider at the length (0120, 0137, 0140, 0142; 12 each), shuffles of the 73 unknown places (0148; 12). A cell is a candidate when K4 is strictly above every copy (chance about 112/12 = 9); a flag needs p < 0.00045, all of 2,242 copies below K4. Power: A13.1 (power.json) against flat noise; against climbed copies it is unmeasured, so masked plants (reversal, X between words, X every kth letter, and unmasked) are enciphered under 0140's and 0142's own method and climbed by their frozen search.
8
Prediction
Written before the run; the result decides it.
K4 is strictly above every copy in about 9 of 112 cells (chance), and none of those replicates: every candidate meets a fresh copy at or above K4 within a few dozen copies. No flag. The masked plants through the climbs are found less often than A13.1's flat-noise rate: the climb pulls a reversed or X-spaced message toward forward English junk, so most masked plants are not found by their own test. Zero candidates pass gate 4.
9
Method
K4: every saved reading with 24 of 24 known letters in the eight experiments' raw.json, through the battery; per experiment and test, the best value.
Copies: the readings in reports/a13-structure-data/pass1_copies.json (any job still missing is run here, same seeds), through the battery the same way.
Rank K4 per cell; a cell where K4 is strictly above every copy is a candidate.
Replication, per experiment with candidates: fresh copies built the experiment's way (seed '3113'), its frozen search, eight at a time, until every candidate test has met a copy at or above K4 (not a flag), or 2,242 copies all below (a flag), or the clock (unresolved, reported with its p).
Plants: three per mask (none, reversal, X between words, X every kth letter), Carter 1923 with the 24 known letters set after masking, enciphered with a random alphabet and key under 0142's (length 26) and 0140's (length 23) Beaufort form, climbed by their frozen search; found when the mask's own test is above every one of that experiment's 12 copies.
10
Result and bounds
The harness's record: candidates, gates, loss, and the negative result this experiment leaves behind.
16candidates returned
0passed every gate
24/24known letters, best
1.7%lowest loss
nonechampion before
All 16 candidates, lowest loss first.
1failed at baseline24/24 known lettersloss 1.7%
ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?YADK
ARZAMESURECOINGOREASTNORTHEASTE
TENAITEPETJFBGLIONOUCHERYTHIBER
LINCLOCKEELHURMOFTSSAYMCHTELZEP
saved reading of 0148: added form, one alphabet OVLIGSMJAZBFDXNCYPQRTWUHEK, key length 19, carved letter at 33 read as a slip
2failed at baseline24/24 known lettersloss 1.7%
ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?BOAR
IMELRBCEHINVEHWATEASTNORTHEASTH
ATEGNANHIFPLLBADIRODMOROSORYBER
LINCLOCKDAVARRUNDISHEDSAVEANLAP
saved reading of 0140: Beaufort form, one alphabet RTKDPNVSXJQMUAZGOBILEYCHWF on both sides, key length 23
3failed at baseline24/24 known lettersloss 1.7%
ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?JGAF
EEFGHJCJOUSTOLITIEASTNORTHEASTE
HHUAODBULYMENDTRYFFLAWPKASEDBER
LINCLOCKITHNDPRGADTYGABNDEDOZMS
saved reading of 0048: period 29, plain LUCID/keyword, cipher WONDERFUL/keyword, beau; 5 free slots climbed
4failed at baseline24/24 known lettersloss 1.8%
ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?UYUG
NUWILATPSJGPEOMIFEASTNORTHEASTI
AORTOOPSUPOUGHBHISCEBKRIFCSOBER
LINCLOCKFWRZEIMDEXZEMBERHTJRETQ
saved reading of 0048: period 27, plain WEBSTER/keyword, cipher WORLDCLOCK/keyword, beau; 3 free slots climbed
5failed at baseline24/24 known lettersloss 1.8%
ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?DUBD
UWORNYOCSPAREDTOPEASTNORTHEASTH
EBUATIIAMFIVLIEFFENOWERLASSMBER
LINCLOCKOFCANHIANGINTAWARYQSEEP
saved reading of 0137: Beaufort form, one alphabet UWOXMQNVLFISRKPAZTECJDGYBH on both sides, key length 23
6failed at baseline24/24 known lettersloss 1.8%
ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?QEVE
DENGETOPTOANHEANGEASTNORTHEASTC
HERIONYMNSVAGIEVELMAFTKALLYSBER
LINCLOCKINMCUARLOTBORGJANGEREDW
saved reading of 0137: Beaufort form, one alphabet AKDPGNBMLEVURJIXHQOFWCYSZT on both sides, key length 26
7failed at baseline24/24 known lettersloss 1.8%
ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?QINA
RCEOUSEAZEYNONENGEASTNORTHEASTE
DTUDECRSABSOSCIVEFUSSHKRLDRABER
LINCLOCKCLARINRUNGONTAGTOLEMASC
saved reading of 0142: Beaufort form, one alphabet UTVXRSWEPNHFLZDAOQBJICKGYM on both sides, key length 26
8failed at baseline24/24 known lettersloss 1.8%
ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?QBHE
FEULCLATLYEPHUVALEASTNORTHEASTP
OILTYNESTUCOOTEVELHOURKMRTISBER
LINCLOCKTBYINAROMTHEENEIGNORGHF
saved reading of 0120: Beaufort form, one alphabet NDPEAFCIXWRMUHGYZKOBTJVSQL on both sides, key length 26
9failed at baseline24/24 known lettersloss 1.9%
ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?DWIV
EFUEXNARRMGFNUECOEASTNORTHEASTM
WSESLIBREUKSFOCUJPVHUNIJEFUNBER
LINCLOCKCEDWJICYBUNUIPOBOZZHUQP
saved reading of 0035: period 28, plain WILLIAMWEBSTER/keyword, cipher std, beau; 4 free slots climbed
10failed at baseline24/24 known lettersloss 1.9%
ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?ADJB
NPTHULKBRUNTDELITEASTNORTHEASTY
WBCIGZFRYRKWATWCULYBOLARSASWBER
LINCLOCKALSKHOOJUOLBJCEGOTKPAKO
saved reading of 0048: period 28, plain SHADOW/keyword, cipher LODESTONE/keyword, varbeau; 4 free slots climbed
11failed at baseline24/24 known lettersloss 1.9%
ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?FFAT
RYYSOWADXNDJBUTHEEASTNORTHEASTY
FINMGHFNESEAVOLPGLEXNZIANXBIBER
LINCLOCKRTRAAJSAKOWAAGGQIRORYUK
saved reading of 0035: period 29, plain LANGLEY/keyword, cipher std, beau; 5 free slots climbed
12failed at baseline24/24 known lettersloss 1.9%
ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?QGFM
JOYSTOAEUHISNORDFEASTNORTHEASTS
DKZSIZKIENYYISBUIIAWIVYLBOMOBER
LINCLOCKFFEMXURMHAWYLVEERAJBUXH
saved reading of 0035: period 27, plain std, cipher HILL/keyword, vig; 3 free slots climbed
13failed at baseline24/24 known lettersloss 1.9%
ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?WRYZ
NNIPNMUPTOMEORJZEEASTNORTHEASTR
BYEASILETFIPLSNGESMUCHASTDCEBER
LINCLOCKHASANDWLANDWOHLUCEKSENP
saved reading of 0120: Beaufort form, one alphabet JCRBOQYZPXVWHSMGAUKNFTIELD on both sides, key length 23
14failed at baseline24/24 known lettersloss 2.6%
ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?ISCO
REATTHETHESTHEREAEASTNORTHEASTN
DCONTHERESERINTHESTERANDERANBER
LINCLOCKDRENTHEREARATERSTHEMARX
saved reading of 0034: period 89 key NACPMJYYGVZKPKXKWQZMXQRTPHIUUARAYZSHZSHZXYXKDEQHKALUSKZBPUATKMVUGUHMRUKAFKAEONSFIHNKGNTZF (65 free slots c
15failed at baseline24/24 known lettersloss 2.7%
ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?OFOR
ESTINTEDINTHEARENEASTNORTHEASTT
HESTHESTHERENTERSANDINGANDINBER
LINCLOCKGSTANDTHERENTERSARETHAL
saved reading of 0034: period 92 key KVUKDZQJQDDANGRPTOAWTRDUMRIYWOYNKYRJFXJMOHYMKZHSNVPDNXEUVQJVCWIELYOIECBAQKDASNSHKYXCTQVDGIKQ (68 free slot
16failed at baseline24/24 known lettersloss 2.8%
ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?RPRE
SIDENTHESTHERESANEASTNORTHEASTD
ERSTHEPRESINTHEREARENTHERETHBER
LINCLOCKERESIDEDINGTHETHEREARTI
saved reading of 0034: period 95 key FALPWPOZKOFGDGYGYMDMJMCLWNQHMHLKFGXKQHZRHUEXABHQDWGHKKCPTKAYEAZBYHITCDFYZDATQMCOKGZPLSACOFWVNKB (71 free s
2 candidate cells of 112 (chance 9.2); replication: 1 not a flag, 1 unresolved, 0 flags. Plants found by their own test: {'0142 none': '2 of 3', '0142 reversal': '0 of 3', '0142 X spaces': '0 of 3', '0142 X every kth': '0 of 3', '0140 none': '1 of 3', '0140 reversal': '1 of 3', '0140 X spaces': '0 of 3', '0140 X every kth': '0 of 3'}.
3 per mask, Carter 1923 with the known letters set after masking, random alphabet and key, Beaufort form; climbed by the frozen climb_text (10 tempering runs); found = the mask's own test strictly above all 12 copies of that experiment
seconds
17,774.4
How this experiment sits among the others is on the lineage page; its family's open hypotheses are on the families page.
Rendered from the record on 2026-11-05 17:14 UTC; updated after every experiment.