Tool to decrypt / encrypt using Base 36 (Alphanumeric) Cipher, ideal base for encoding any alphanumeric string by a number (and vice versa) with the usual 36 characters (26 letters and 10 digits).
Base 36 Cipher - dCode
Tag(s) : Mathematics, Cryptography
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Base 36 is a positional numbering system (arithmetic base) using 36 distinct symbols: generally the 36 alphanumeric characters comprising the 26 letters of the alphabet ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ and the 10 digits 0123456789.
This base allows any word/text consisting of letters and numbers to be converted into a single base-10 number (and conversely, any decimal number corresponds to a sequence of alphanumeric characters in base 36).
Base-36 encryption is technically a conversion to base-10, using the principle of arithmetic base conversion (converting a text considered to be written in base-36 to base-10).
It is possible to use 2 sets of symbols for base 36: either digits then letters
Alphabet#1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | … | 7 | 8 | 9 | A | B | C | D | … | X | Y | Z |
Index | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | … | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | … | 33 | 34 | 35 |
Or letters then digits
Alphabet#2 | A | B | C | D | … | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | … | 7 | 8 | 9 |
Index | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | … | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | … | 33 | 34 | 35 |
Example: To code the 3 characters B36 in base 36 using the symbols 0123456789ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ, first note the base 10 index of each character: B=11, 3=3, 6=6 then apply the base change formula: $ 11 \times 36^2 + 3 \times 36^1 + 6 \times 36^0 = 14370 $ the coded message is then 14370.
The decryption of decimal numbers (in base 10) to base 36 consists of carrying out the inverse base change of the encryption, namely from base 10 to base 36.
Example: Decode the message 527198. $ 527198 = 11 \times 36^3 + 10 \times 36^2 + 28 \times 36^1 + 14 \times 36^0 $ so [11,10,28,14] in base 36 and 11=B, 10=A, 28=S, 14=E. The plain message is BASE.
The coded message consists of integer numbers whose length is proportional to the length of the word.
The same word is coded with the same number, so the numbers corresponding to the common words appear coded several times.
Base 36 is useful for several reasons:
— Storage optimization: An alphanumeric string can be converted into a single number (Base 26 is used to store words).
— Ease of reading, writing, and therefore memorization: a base 36 number is shorter than its base 10 equivalent.
— Use in computer systems for unique identifiers, URL shortening, certain hashing algorithms, etc.
Round values in decimal base:
Base10 | Base36 |
---|---|
100 | 2S |
1000 | RS |
10000 | 7PS |
100000 | 255S |
1000000 | LFLS |
1000000000 | GJDGXS |
Round values in base36:
Base36 | Base10 |
---|---|
10 | 36 |
100 | 1296 |
1000 | 46656 |
10000 | 679616 |
100000 | 60466176 |
1000000 | 176782336 |
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Cite as source (bibliography):
Base 36 Cipher on dCode.fr [online website], retrieved on 2025-04-02,