The mathematical genius of Manchester icon Alan Turing is way beyond most of us but that doesn't mean we should lose all hope of proving we have what it takes to be an expert code breaker. <\/p>\n
A new challenging online brain teaser, featuring cryptic clues, has been launched by mathematicians at the University of Manchester to coincide with the release of new film The Imitation Game. <\/p>\n
Already tipped for Oscar success the film (starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley) tells the story of Alan Turing and how he cracked the German Enigma Code during World War Two, before moving to Manchester to continue his work before his untimely death at just 42. <\/p>\n
The game, available to play online, is based around the true story of how in 1940 Alan Turing converted his savings into silver ingots and buried them in Bletchley Park. <\/p>\n
Dr Alan Turing mathematician <\/p>\n
Unfortunately for the mathematical genius he forgot their location and the ingots have never been found. <\/p>\n
To celebrate the biopics release University of Manchester cryptographers have launched a one-off competition with Studio Canal for their annual online Alan Turing Cryptography Competition. <\/p>\n
Dr Andrew Hazel from the School of Mathematics said, Having seen our annual online Alan Turing Cryptography Competition, StudioCanal contacted us to propose a one-off competition related to the release of The Imitation Game. We were delighted to take the opportunity to share our enthusiasm for mathematics and cryptography, and to highlight the close ties between the University, Alan Turing and Benedict Cumberbatch. <\/p>\n
The fiendish brain teaser (trust us, it is difficult) gives the player three codes which once cracked can be used to locate one square on a map where Turings lost treasure is buried. <\/p>\n
There is no time limit, and the challenge is to decipher the individual words the code is concealing. <\/p>\n
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