Get Out Your Shovels

[_pi Profile]

I went back to my experimentations on listing all the possible Z32 solutions containing coordinates (in radians and inches) written in words (e.g. THIRTEEN RAD ONE AND FOUR EIGHTH INCH). My goal was to do an exhaustive list of all the solutions fitting a certain format and respecting the known rules related to this cipher and to place all these solutions on a map.

To recap, here are all the rules associated to this cipher:

• A bomb was hidden somewhere on the map mailed by the zodiac.
• The 32-symbol cipher accompanying the map points to the bomb’s location on the map.
• The cipher’s solution should contain coordinates in the form of radians and inches. The number of inches
  should be a measurement along the radians.
• These coordinates should have their Cartesian origin on the top of Mt Diablo, as depicted on the map.
• These coordinates should have their angular origin at the Magnetic North.
• I interpret the "0-3-6-9" numbers around the compass to mean that the solution's angle must be added in a clockwise way to the Magnetic North angle.

Based on these rules, I wanted to create an exhaustive list of all solutions that would fit the following formats:

[radians][AND|WITH|+|empty][inches]
OR
[inches][AND|WITH|+|empty][radians]

Where
[radians] means [0.00-20.99][RAD|RADS|RADIAN|RADIANS|empty]
[inches] means [0.00-7.00][IN|INCH|INCHES|empty]

As you can see from above, this experiment evaluates solutions where radians range from 0 to 20.99 and lengths range from 0 to 7.00 inches.

Numbers are spelled out textually in the solution. For this test, I allowed to have a precision of 2 decimal places for both radians and inches. So, for example, to spell out "5.13" inches, we need to consider the following possibilities:
FIVE POINT THIRTEEN
FIVE DOT THIRTEEN
FIVE AND THIRTEEN
FIVE POINT ONE THREE
FIVE DOT ONE THREE
FIVE AND ONE THREE
FIVE AND ONE EIGHTH
FIVE AND AN EIGHTH
FIVE AND TWO SIXTEENTH
FIVE AND TWO SIXTEENTHS
FIVE AND FOUR THIRTYSECONDTH
FIVE AND FOUR THIRTYSECONDTHS

As you can see from the example above, I am using 2 different approaches to spell out decimal values for inches. The first one describes the digits (e.g. …POINT ONE THREE) and the second one gives the closest approximation in inch fractions (e.g. …AND TWO SIXTEENTHS).

Once a solution is found, the coordinates are verified to validate that they fall inside the zodiac's map. The radians/inches coordinates are then converted into latitude/longitude and the solution is placed on a Google map, taking into account the change in cartographic projections.

I separated the results in 2 categories: solutions that spell out inches' decimal places as digits and solutions that use inch fractions (as explained above). I found 3817 solutions in the first category:

Z32-Digits.jpg [ 172.69 KiB | Viewed 730 times ]

…and 43 solutions in the second category:

Z32-Fractions.jpg [ 85.45 KiB | Viewed 730 times ]

The following URLs point to Google maps that contain all the solutions, according to these 2 categories:

Digits: https://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?msid=201348838735761802310.0004c779ea2db54c3848f&msa=0
Fractions: https://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?msid=201348838735761802310.0004c779e7b15d767e507&msa=0

I wasn't expecting to find so many solutions that respected the rules, fit the solution format I defined and that were pointing inside the map's boundaries. It is possible to argue that some of these solutions are "better" than others but this becomes a subjective matter. Here are some solution attributes that might make a solution better than another one:

• The solution uses round numbers instead of decimals.
• The solution uses inch fractions instead of decimals.
• The solution uses the "POINT" decimal separator instead of "DOT".
• The coordinates point to an area where schools can be found nearby.
• The coordinates point to an area that is somehow relevant to the zodiac.
• etc.

_pi

[doranchak Profile Website]

That's a nicely done experiment! I wish there was a way to further narrow down the possibilities.

[traveller1st Profile]

Very nice Pi.

Let's forego the shovels though. Get the world's biggest earth mover and we'll just wreck California.

[entropy Profile]

Very cool, pi!

I think the idea of following Z's hints verbatim is a great idea and that type of solution is a very viable suspect-neutral idea. I don't see any particular points that stand out (close to the Presidio but not quite...) but maybe someone else will.

I fear you may have put far more thought into this idea than Zodiac himself but so be it. It's terrific work, IMO.

[LIVE55 Profile]

This is a bit over complicated for my taste but it sure was a lot of work so that should be applauded.
I have never believed Z actually buried a bomb, but maybe he DID bury something.
Probably something of a taunting, sarcastic nature if he did.

Pick the best spot and get a metal detector!

[_pi Profile]

Thanks all for the kind words. It was a fun experiment to conduct.

I fear you may have put far more thought into this idea than Zodiac himself...

I fear you might be correct

[para_owl Profile YIM]

That's a nicely done experiment! I wish there was a way to further narrow down the possibilities.

That will probably be narrowed down by being in residential areas or some other property owner that won't allow it. Anyone that is willing to dig in these locations (assuming they get the chance) is dedicated to the case and/or crazy.

--Will.

[milw Profile]

Since there are 2pi radians in a full circle, would it make sense to constrain that portion to the range ZERO ZERO ZERO - SIX TWO EIGHT? Also what about leaving out the dividers (DOT, POINT, etc) since for both rads and inches, there can only be one significant digit to the left of a decimal point? Would either of those reduce the field of possible solutions?

Finally, would the indicated spot need to fall on a rural, relatively unpopulated spot (in 1969-1970) so the digging could be accomplished unobserved? That would rule out a lot of possible locations.