Newsgroups: sci.crypt,ny.general
Path: msuinfo!caen!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!yale.edu!cmcl2!sbcs.sunysb.edu!usenet
From: mfader@sbcs.sunysb.edu (Michael Fader)
Subject: Last call
Message-ID: <1992Feb5.063641.23572@sbcs.sunysb.edu>
Keywords: new york, driver's license
Sender: usenet@sbcs.sunysb.edu (Usenet poster)
Nntp-Posting-Host: sbgrad3
Organization: State University of New York at Stony Brook
Date: Wed, 5 Feb 1992 06:36:41 GMT

At the risk of wasting some bandwidth, I'll repeat my last message one last
time in case you missed it.

As mentioned in previous posts, New York, like most states, assigns its
driver's license numbers based on the personal information appearing on the
license (see Gallian, "Assigning Driver's License Numbers", Mathematics
Magazine February 1991).  However, NY is one of only 4 states which will not
reveal its assignment scheme, not even under the Freedom of Information Act
(try calling the DMV yourself!).

Previously I announced that I had broken the NY code and would post the
solution to these newsgroups, but that I was trying to get my name in print
somewhere first; this is still true.

Although my solution works with every license number I've collected (and thanks
again to all those who responded via these groups; I still have your email
addresses for "first-class" delivery), I now have reason to believe that my
solution is not valid for people with very short first names (two letters or
less) or short last names (three letters or less); short or no middle name
isn't a problem.

I haven't been able to collect ANY short-named licenses, but I think I have the
solution for these as well.  I'd like to collect even just ONE license number
with a short first name and/or one with a short last name so I can check the
(tentative) alternate codes for these cases.

Can anyone help?  If you have a New York State driver's license (even an old
one) AND 

a) your first name (as it appears on the license) is two letters or less,

	and/or

b) your last name (as it appears on the license) is three letters or less,

could you send me your license name (e.g. LAST, FIRST, MIDDLE) and your license
number (the first "line" will be enough).  As an incentive I'll immediately
reveal a small piece of the code to anyone who can respond.

Thanks again (and no flames for the rerun, please).
Mike
mfader@sbcs.sunysb.edu
