Analyzing the Coding Pattern

The question asks us to decipher the code where 'PISTA' is transformed into 'OGPPV' and apply this logic to encode 'ALMOND'. We first identify the relationship between the letters of the original word and the coded word.

We list the letters and their corresponding positions in the English alphabet (A=1, Z=26):

• P (16) -> O (15)
• I (9) -> G (7)
• S (19) -> P (16)
• T (20) -> P (16)
• A (1) -> V (22)

Now, let's determine the shift for each position:

• P (16) to O (15): The shift is $15 - 16 = -1$.
• I (9) to G (7): The shift is $7 - 9 = -2$.
• S (19) to P (16): The shift is $16 - 19 = -3$.
• T (20) to P (16): The shift is $16 - 20 = -4$.
• A (1) to V (22): Considering the alphabet wraps around (A follows Z backwards), the shift is calculated as: $22 - 1 = 21$? No. Let's check the reverse shift. A is 1. V is 22. Moving backward from A: A -> Z (-1), Z -> Y (-2), Y -> X (-3), X -> W (-4), W -> V (-5). So, the shift is -5. Using modular arithmetic: $(1 - 5) \mod 26 = -4 \mod 26 = 22$. This corresponds to V.

The established pattern is a sequential backward shift of -1, -2, -3, -4, -5 for the letters based on their position in the word.

Applying the Pattern to ALMOND

The word 'ALMOND' has 6 letters. We will apply the backward shifts -1, -2, -3, -4, -5, and -6 sequentially.

• A (1st letter, position 1): Shift -1. Calculation: $(1 - 1) \mod 26 = 0 \mod 26$. This corresponds to the 26th letter, Z.
• L (2nd letter, position 12): Shift -2. Calculation: $(12 - 2) \mod 26 = 10 \mod 26$. This corresponds to the 10th letter, J.
• M (3rd letter, position 13): Shift -3. Calculation: $(13 - 3) \mod 26 = 10 \mod 26$. This corresponds to the 10th letter, J.
• O (4th letter, position 15): Shift -4. Calculation: $(15 - 4) \mod 26 = 11 \mod 26$. This corresponds to the 11th letter, K.
• N (5th letter, position 14): Shift -5. Calculation: $(14 - 5) \mod 26 = 9 \mod 26$. This corresponds to the 9th letter, I.
• D (6th letter, position 4): Shift -6. Calculation: $(4 - 6) \mod 26 = -2 \mod 26$. This corresponds to the 24th letter, X (since $-2 + 26 = 24$).

Combining the resulting letters, we get the coded word: ZJJKIX.