World 1 · Substitution · 6 minThe Caesar shift
Every letter moves the same distance
Teaching this? Open projector mode
A Caesar shift moves every letter the same number of places along the alphabet. With a shift of 3, a becomes D, b becomes E, and z wraps round to C. The Roman historian Suetonius says Julius Caesar wrote to his generals this way.
The number of places is the key. Whoever knows it can turn the shift back.
Check yourself
How many different Caesar keys are actually useful?
Check yourself
With a shift of 3, what does CAT become?
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