Question

Question 1: Could the program be coded so that a given letter isn’t always the same encrypted letter? (Ex. ‘A’ isn’t always encrypted to ‘E’)?



Question 2: Are there challenges in coding when sometimes ‘A’ is an ‘E’ and sometimes ‘A’ is a different letter? Do you think writing code for ‘A’ to be any random letter is possible?


Question 3: As a soon-to-be programmer (we’ll start writing our own code in Unit 4), you’ll quickly find out that you always need to be aware of whether your program is producing the correct output. Why do you think correct output is important? You can use an example to explain your answer. My example (and now you can’t use this one) is that I am glad that when I choose a song from my playlist to listen to, that I will hear the song I chose and not some other song that I didn’t want to hear…

Answer 1

### Question 1:
Yes, the program can be coded so that a given letter isn’t always encrypted to the same encrypted letter. This concept is commonly implemented in encryption techniques known as polyalphabetic ciphers, like the Vigenère cipher, where each letter can be encrypted to different letters based on a keyword or a set of rules that changes dynamically. For example, the letter 'A' could be encrypted to 'E' in one instance and to 'Z' in another depending on the encryption key or algorithm in use.

### Question 2:
Yes, there are challenges in coding a system where 'A' can be encrypted as different letters at different times. One primary challenge is managing the complexity of the encryption and decryption processes since the state of the encryption must be tracked to ensure that the intended letter is produced correctly during decryption. This could be implemented using a randomization process or a key that's regularly changed. Writing code for 'A' to be a random letter at different times is indeed possible. You could create a mapping of letters to a randomized set of letters at the start of the program and use this mapping whenever you need to encrypt a letter. However, you must also manage how to decrypt it, meaning you need to keep a record of the randomization process to reverse it accurately.

### Question 3:
Correct output is important because it ensures that the program performs its intended function accurately, which builds trust and reliability. For example, in a banking application, if a user tries to withdraw $100 from their account, the correct output must reflect that transaction accurately. If the system were to erroneously subtract the wrong amount or fail to record the transaction, it could result in financial loss for the user and can lead to serious trust issues with the banking institution. In this context, accurate outputs are crucial for both the proper functioning of systems and user satisfaction.