Experimental Python prototype of a 4-dimensional time-evolving Sudoku substitution cipher.
SudokuCipher4D is an educational cryptography project exploring how a valid 16×16 Sudoku grid can act as a substitution table that evolves after every encrypted character. It combines deterministic Sudoku transformations with a reversible byte mapping to create a dynamic substitution cipher.
While revising classical cryptography for Security+, I wondered whether a Sudoku grid could be used as a substitution table for all 256 byte values. After researching existing Sudoku ciphers, I noticed most relied on a static grid. That led to a simple question: what if the grid itself evolved after every encrypted character while always remaining valid?
| Dimension | Meaning |
|---|---|
| X | Row position |
| Y | Column position |
| Z | Character position in message |
| T | Grid evolution step (time) |
✔ 16×16 Sudoku grid — 256-byte mapping
✔ Deterministic key-derived evolution
✔ Reversible encryption
✔ Animated terminal visualization
✔ Challenge mode
pip install -r requirements.txt python sudoku4d.py
The algorithm is public. The ciphertext is public. The key is hidden.
Can you recover the plaintext without the key?
Disclaimer: This is an educational prototype. It has not been peer reviewed or cryptanalyzed and must never be used to protect real-world secrets.
Concept by Amina Belhout | Prototype