The size of the message is 9 Kbytes. This message is known to contain 9216 characters.

The size of the message is 9 Kbytes. This message is known to contain 9216 characters. What is the maximum power of the alphabet?

To begin with, let’s translate the message volume recorded in the condition from kilobytes to bits:

1 kilobyte is, as you know, 1024 bytes;

1 byte is known to be 8 bits;

9 * 1024 * 8 = 73728.

Now we can determine what the informational weight of one character will equal, because from the condition of the task we know that there are 9216 of them in the message:

93728: 9216 = 8.

And finally, let’s determine what the maximum possible cardinality of the alphabet will be:

i = 8;

N = 2 ^ i;

2 ^ 8 = 256.

Answer: Under these conditions, power = 256 characters.