ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Zadoff–Chu sequence

Imagine you are playing a game with your friend and you want to send a secret coded message to them. But you don't want anyone else to understand the message. To do this, you can use a special type of sequence called a Zadoff-Chu sequence.

A Zadoff-Chu sequence is a pattern of numbers that follows a very specific rule. For example, the numbers might be 1, -1, -i, i. This sequence is important because it has special mathematical properties that make it perfect for secret communication.

To use a Zadoff-Chu sequence, you and your friend first agree on the pattern of numbers to use. Then, you use this pattern to encode your message. You might do this by assigning each letter of the alphabet a number, and then converting your message into a sequence of these numbers.

Next, you multiply each number in your message by a corresponding number in the Zadoff-Chu sequence. This creates a new sequence of numbers that is different from your original message. But, only you and your friend know the pattern of the Zadoff-Chu sequence, so only you can decode the message.

Finally, you send this new sequence of numbers to your friend. Your friend then multiplies each number in the sequence by the corresponding number in the Zadoff-Chu sequence, which will recreate the original message.

Overall, Zadoff-Chu sequences are a neat way to encode secret messages without anyone else being able to understand them!