Decoding the PINTEREST to LEJPANAOP Code

The problem presents a coding pattern where 'PINTEREST' is transformed into 'LEJPANAOP'. We need to identify this pattern and apply it to encode the word 'VIBER'.

Analyzing the Coding Pattern

Let's compare the letter positions in 'PINTEREST' and 'LEJPANAOP':

• P (position 16) becomes L (position 12). Difference: $16 - 12 = 4$.
• I (position 9) becomes E (position 5). Difference: $9 - 5 = 4$.
• N (position 14) becomes J (position 10). Difference: $14 - 10 = 4$.
• T (position 20) becomes P (position 16). Difference: $20 - 16 = 4$.
• E (position 5) becomes A (position 1). Difference: $5 - 1 = 4$.
• R (position 18) becomes N (position 14). Difference: $18 - 14 = 4$.
• E (position 5) becomes A (position 1). Difference: $5 - 1 = 4$.
• S (position 19) becomes O (position 15). Difference: $19 - 15 = 4$.
• T (position 20) becomes P (position 16). Difference: $20 - 16 = 4$.

The consistent pattern is that each letter is replaced by the letter that comes 4 positions before it in the alphabet. For letters where subtraction results in a position less than 1, we wrap around the alphabet (e.g., B - 4).

Applying the Pattern to VIBER

We will now apply the '-4' rule to each letter of 'VIBER':

• V (22): $22 - 4 = 18$. The 18th letter is R.
• I (9): $9 - 4 = 5$. The 5th letter is E.
• B (2): $2 - 4 = -2$. Wrapping around the 26-letter alphabet gives position $26 - 2 = 24$. The 24th letter is X.
• E (5): $5 - 4 = 1$. The 1st letter is A.
• R (18): $18 - 4 = 14$. The 14th letter is N.

Combining the resulting letters gives the coded word: REXAN.