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Difficulty: MediumCoding and Decoding

A digital library archiving system generates tags for its collections using a specific alphabetic transformation logic. In this system, the word INDEX is coded as GQGCA, and the word BOOK is coded as EMMN.

Using the exact same logic, what is the exact code for the word SHELF?

Answer: VKCOI / vkcoi

Answer

VKCOI
The established coding rule categorizes letters into consonants and vowels. Consonants are shifted forward by 3 alphabetical positions in a circular manner, while vowels are shifted backward by 2 positions. Applying this specific rule to the word SHELF: S (consonant + 3) = V, H (consonant + 3) = K, E (vowel - 2) = C, L (consonant + 3) = O, and F (consonant + 3) = I. This produces the final correct code VKCOI.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the first example 'INDEX' to identify the alphabetical shift pattern for each letter.
I (-2) = G, N (+3) = Q, D (+3) = G, E (-2) = C, X (+3) = A.
Determining the numerical alphabetical shift for each individual letter is the foundational step in decoding the logic.
2
Analyze the second example 'BOOK' to verify the logic and rule out position-based shifting.
B (+3) = E, O (-2) = M, O (-2) = M, K (+3) = N.
A second example confirms whether the shift depends on the letter's position in the word or its phonetic classification (vowel vs. consonant).
3
Deduce the universal coding rule from the confirmed shift patterns.
Consonants are shifted forward by 3 positions (+3), and vowels are shifted backward by 2 positions (-2).
A consistent, unified rule must be fully established before attempting to encode the target word.
4
Apply the deduced rule to the target word 'SHELF'.
S (consonant) + 3 = V, H (consonant) + 3 = K, E (vowel) - 2 = C, L (consonant) + 3 = O, F (consonant) + 3 = I.
Executing the exact transformation on the target string yields the final requested code.

Key Concept

Alphabetic transformation using conditional logic based on vowel and consonant classification.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Coding and Decoding

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