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Question

Difficulty: MediumCoding and Decoding

In a regional agricultural seed bank's categorization system, crop names are converted into numerical codes for database entry. Under this specific protocol, the crop name "WHEAT" is coded as "4-19-5-1-7", and the crop name "BARLEY" is coded as "25-1-9-15-5-2". Following the exact same logical pattern, how will the crop name "MAIZE" be coded?

  1. 14-1-9-1-5Answer
  2. B
    14-26-18-1-22
  3. C
    13-1-9-26-5
  4. D
    13-26-18-26-22

Answer

14-1-9-1-5
The correct answer is derived by observing that all consonants are transformed into their reverse alphabetical positions (e.g., M=13 becomes 14, Z=26 becomes 1), while all vowels maintain their standard forward alphabetical positions (e.g., A=1, I=9, E=5). Combining these values in sequence produces 14-1-9-1-5.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the standard alphabetical positions of the letters in the first example, 'WHEAT'.
W=23, H=8, E=5, A=1, T=20.
Establishing the base numerical values is the first step in identifying coding transformations.
2
Compare the base numerical values of 'WHEAT' with its given code: '4-19-5-1-7'.
W(23) becomes 4. H(8) becomes 19. E(5) remains 5. A(1) remains 1. T(20) becomes 7.
This comparison reveals the specific mathematical or logical transformation applied to each letter.
3
Identify the underlying logical rule governing the transformations.
Consonants (W, H, T) are assigned their reverse alphabetical positions (calculated as 27 - forward position). Vowels (E, A) retain their standard forward alphabetical positions.
Defining the conditional rule is required before it can be reliably applied to other words.
4
Verify the identified rule using the second example, 'BARLEY'.
Forward positions: B=2, A=1, R=18, L=12, E=5, Y=25. Applying the rule: B(consonant) -> 25, A(vowel) -> 1, R(consonant) -> 9, L(consonant) -> 15, E(vowel) -> 5, Y(consonant) -> 2. Code is 25-1-9-15-5-2, which perfectly matches the given code.
Testing the hypothesis against a second dataset confirms the logic is universally applied within the system.
5
Apply the verified rule to the target word 'MAIZE'.
M(13, consonant) -> 27-13 = 14. A(1, vowel) -> 1. I(9, vowel) -> 9. Z(26, consonant) -> 27-26 = 1. E(5, vowel) -> 5.
Translating the target string using the established algorithm yields the final answer.

Key Concept

Mixed Alphanumeric Substitution using Vowel/Consonant Conditional Logic and Reverse Indexing
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Topics

Coding and Decoding

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