5). We begin to look at the requirements for the output. We see that this is closest to the WIF format. Given we know WIF is base 58 we can do a calculation to know the minimum amount of information needed to express one character:
ceil(log2(58)) = 6 bits
6 bits * 51 characters = 306 bits
So given, if the flames were used to encode a WIF string you'd need 2 flames for each character.
Actually WIF requires 304 bits which is (so it happens) 38 bytes which is 32 bytes for the 64hex private key format+1 byte (x80 header)+1 byte (x01 footer) + 4 bytes checksum. This is why 152-flames-coding-two-bits-only theory (with bits coded by inner&outer color and using length only as a
pacemaker) was so appealing to many.
- 2 missing symbols represents the death of the phoenix and turtle dove.
I am sorry to have written the end to your theory of two missing flames symbolizing two loving souls. It was beautiful but unsound.
I'll give a fairly big hint. There's two missing flames in the inner ring. Beyond that, the way things are encoded is a mystery. But that should be enough, if you can reason with the theme of the poem, to catch up with what he's likely talking about.
Are those the two flames supposedly representing the death of the phoenix and turtle dove?
One more point. You published a nice google document with some information on missing flames in the outer border. The document has been subsequently edited with the relevant information removed. What is really your group's purpose ?
I used 6 bits assuming that each character was encoded using a fixed length (see Bacon Cipher). I edited it (I only have editing permissions) because I did not have conclusive evidence to keep it in the document. The document is my personal platform for notes, what I see as distracting or misleading I remove.