Isn't Caesar cipher a monoalphabetic cipher?

  • Comp Sci
  • Thread starter shivajikobardan
  • Start date
In summary, the conversation discusses the use of Caesar cipher and how it can be solved easily due to its simple substitution of letters. However, it is noted that monoalphabetic cipher is not as easily solved and can have problems when dealing with limited data. The use of homophonic cipher is also mentioned as a potential solution to Caesar cipher's problems.
  • #1
shivajikobardan
674
54
Homework Statement
Caeser cipher, monoalphabetic cipher
Relevant Equations
Cipher=(Plain+k)%26, Plain=(Cipher-k)%26
I feel so, but some are teaching ceaser cipher before monoalphabetic cipher and telling "there are problems of ceaser cipher" that were solved by "monoalphabetic cipher". It sound wrong. While homophonic cipher could've solved ceaser cipher's problem. But telling monoalphabetic cipher solves ceaser cipher problem is wrong sounding. What do you think?
 
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  • #2
The Caesar cipher is a monoalphabetic substitution.
The simple substitution is the same throughout the message.
The order of the alphabet is not changed, which makes it trivial to solve.
 
  • #3
shivajikobardan said:
I feel so, but some are teaching ceaser cipher before monoalphabetic cipher and telling "there are problems of ceaser cipher" that were solved by "monoalphabetic cipher". It sound wrong. While homophonic cipher could've solved ceaser cipher's problem. But telling monoalphabetic cipher solves ceaser cipher problem is wrong sounding. What do you think?
The Caesar cipher is a special case of a monoalphabetic cipher. It is particularly easy to solve by frequency analysis in a way that less trivial monoalphabetic ciphers are not: can you think what that is?
 
  • #4
You can solve a Caesar cipher in your head, try solving a monoalphabetical cipher in your head!
EG if head encodes to khdg, then decode jrrg erb - it's easy, there's enough data to work with, you don't even need to know that khdg means head, just trying variation after variation is enough.

But in a monoalphabetic cipher, if head encodes to qrri, decode afgdw pleo - you can't, too little data.

While monoalphabetical is relatively easy with a computer and a reasonable amount of data -a dozen sentances and you're there, usually, it has big problems when dealing with just two or three words to work with. Therefore monoalphabetic solves the simplicity of Caesar in some cases.
 

Related to Isn't Caesar cipher a monoalphabetic cipher?

1. What is a Caesar cipher?

A Caesar cipher is a type of monoalphabetic cipher, meaning it uses a single alphabet for encryption and decryption. It works by shifting each letter in the alphabet by a certain number of positions. For example, a shift of 3 would turn the letter "A" into "D", "B" into "E", and so on.

2. How does a Caesar cipher work?

A Caesar cipher works by taking a message and shifting each letter in the alphabet by a certain number of positions. For example, a shift of 3 would turn the letter "A" into "D", "B" into "E", and so on. This creates a new alphabet that is used to encrypt the message. To decrypt the message, the process is reversed by shifting the letters back to their original positions.

3. Is a Caesar cipher secure?

No, a Caesar cipher is not considered a secure form of encryption. Since it uses a single alphabet for encryption and decryption, it is vulnerable to frequency analysis. This means that if an attacker knows the language of the message, they can analyze the frequency of letters and easily decipher the message.

4. What is the key in a Caesar cipher?

The key in a Caesar cipher is the number of positions each letter is shifted in the alphabet. For example, a key of 3 would shift each letter in the alphabet by 3 positions. This key is used to encrypt and decrypt the message.

5. Can a Caesar cipher be cracked?

Yes, a Caesar cipher can be easily cracked using frequency analysis. Since it uses a single alphabet for encryption and decryption, patterns in the frequency of letters can be used to decipher the message. Additionally, the key can also be guessed by trying all possible shifts until the message makes sense.

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