Break the Turing code

A challenging online brain-teaser, featuring cryptic clues, has been launched by mathematicians at The University of Manchester to coincide with the launch of the film ‘The Imitation Game’, which tells the real-life story of mathematician Alan Turing, the World War II code breaker who lived in Wilmslow.

The cryptic conundrum is based around a true story of how in 1940, Alan Turing converted his savings into silver ingots and buried them in Bletchley Park. In real life the silver has never been found, but for the purposes of the competition, a location has been chosen and three coded clues are there to be deciphered. The answers to the clues can then be used to find the location of the silver. Participants submit their solution and winners, who will be drawn at random from correct solutions, receive film-related merchandise.

Turning, who was a pioneer of computing, artificial intelligence and mathematical biology had close links with the University of Manchester. In 1948 he was appointed Reader in the Mathematics Department and soon afterwards he became Deputy Director of the Computing Laboratory at the University, working on software for one of the earliest true computers – the Manchester Ferranti Mark 1. Actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Turing in the film, also has ties to the city and The University, where he was a former drama student.

Dr Andrew Hazel from the School of Mathematics said, “Having seen our annual online Alan Turing Cryptography Competition, StudioCanal contacted us to propose a one-off competition related to the release of The Imitation Game. We were delighted to take the opportunity to share our enthusiasm for mathematics and cryptography, and to highlight the close ties between the University, Alan Turing and Benedict Cumberbatch.”

The Imitation Game Cryptography Competition will close at midday on 28th November 2014. It is free to enter and open to any resident of the United Kingdom but only one prize will be awarded per household. Full details are available online.

The Imitation Game portrays the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team at Britain’s top-secret code-breaking centre, Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II. Turing, whose contributions and genius significantly shortened the war, saving thousands of lives, was later criminally prosecuted for his homosexuality. As a result of the conviction Turing lost his security clearance and had to stop his work. He killed himself two years later in 1954.

The Imitation Game is in cinemas from 14th November and stars Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek Into Darkness, TV’s Sherlock) as Turing and Keira Knightley (Atonement) as close friend and fellow code breaker Joan Clarke.