During a gaming convention in 2012, a board game designer approached mathematician Eric Harshbarger with a challenge to create dice that could determine the starting player without the possibility of a tie. The objective was to expedite the start of board games by swiftly resolving the first turn.
Harshbarger, a mathematician and senior lecturer at Auburn University, found the problem intriguing due to its lack of an obvious solution, a common attraction for mathematicians. While he initially conceptualized a set of dice that could provide a fair outcome for all players without ties, the practical implementation proved to be a significant hurdle.
After nearly 15 years of collaborative efforts with computer scientists and mathematicians worldwide, Harshbarger and his team successfully developed a set of Go First Dice tailored for five players. These dice ensure a fair and decisive method for determining the starting player with just one roll.
Over the years, Harshbarger oversaw the project’s progress, with about 20 researchers contributing to the endeavor. While they quickly devised a set of four 12-sided dice for fewer players, the challenge escalated when attempting to accommodate five players.
Through persistent efforts and collaborative brainstorming, a breakthrough came when a researcher in Australia proposed a practical solution involving five 120-sided dice. Subsequently, a Canadian software engineer, Paul Meyer, joined the project and devised a solution with five 60-sided dice, marking a significant milestone in the quest for fair dice.
Despite the astronomical computational challenge involved in exploring numerous design possibilities, the team’s dedication paid off, leading to the creation of golf ball-sized dice now available for purchase. While some skepticism remains regarding the practical implementation of the dice, Harshbarger asserts the mathematical integrity of the design, attributing any discrepancies to the manufacturing process rather than the underlying principles.
The research continues, with ongoing exploration into the feasibility of using fewer sides for the five-player set and the potential expansion to accommodate six players. Harshbarger acknowledges the uncertainty inherent in such endeavors, highlighting the allure of unresolved mathematical puzzles that captivate mathematicians for years on end.
