Puzzle 7 -- Die Unentzifferbare Chiffre

Puzzle:

Teams are given a sheet of paper, with a grid of letters, and a title in German.

[Solution: Realize that the two italicized words, hailstone and Syracuse, are other names for the Collatz conjecture. Take the two numbers, 1. 168, and 3. 160, and follow the numbers on the grid (following the Collatz function), to get the words "Berlin" and "Munich", the 1st and 3rd most populous cities in Germany respectively. The 2nd most populous city, Hamburg, is the key for the Vigenère cipher. Applying this leads you to the github page of Amalie Emmy Noether.]

• Hint 1: Syracuse? Hailstone? Maybe my friend Lothar can help me decode what these words mean.

• Hint 2: Things that you find early on in life can be the key to help you decipher things later on.

Available Star:

The asterisks (“stars”) in the grid make the Big Dipper.