Here is another brilliant solution from Andrei from School No.
205, Bucharest, Romania
I have to find the secret message
20 14 19 23 11 13 20 21 4 5 11 23 18 6 19 14 19 4 13 21 24 16 19
20 14 21 4 7 17 24 11 1 20 20 14 19 15 11 6 16 12 21 13 20 14 17
20 21 20 21 13 5 11 23 18 6 19 14 19 4 13 21 24 16 19
which has been coded by using the equation: $$C=7P + 17 \pmod
{26}$$ where $C$ is the cipher value of the corresponding $P$ and
$P$ represents the letters of the alphabet taking $a=0,\ b=1,\
c=2,\ ...$ to $z=25$.
Solving this equation for $P$ gives $$P={1\over 7}C - {17\over 7}
\pmod{26}.$$ Using the reverse of the multiplication table mod
26, I found: $$P = 15C - 21 = 15 C + 5 \pmod{26} \quad (1)$$
Performing the operations in equation (1) using the properties of
arithmetic operations mod 26, I found the following sequence of
numbers 19, 7, 4, 12, 14, 18, 19, 8, 13, 2, 14, 12, 15, 17, 4, 7,
4, 13, 18, 8, 1, 11, 4, 19, 7, 8, 13, 6, 26, 1, 14, 20, 19,19, 7,
4, 22, 14, 17, 11, 3, 8, 18, 19, 7, 26, 19, 26, 18, 2, 14, 12,
15, 17, 4, 7, 4, 13, 18, 8, 1, 11, 4. These, transformed into
words, produced the following message:
"The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is
comprehensible".