In 2012, at a gaming convention, a board game designer challenged mathematician Eric Harshbarger to create dice that would decide the first player without the chance of a tie. Harshbarger, a senior lecturer at Auburn University, embraced the challenge, aiming to streamline the game setup process. After years of collaboration with computer scientists and mathematicians worldwide, Harshbarger and his team developed a set of five Go First Dice to determine the starting player in a board game with certainty from a single roll.
Initially, the team devised a set of four 12-sided dice for up to four players, ensuring a fair outcome. However, creating a solution for five players proved more complex. Through persistent efforts, including reducing the dice sides, the team eventually settled on a set of five 120-sided dice, a breakthrough achieved with the input of a researcher from Australia.
Canadian software engineer Paul Meyer further advanced the project by proposing a solution using five 60-sided dice, which was verified to be effective. Despite some skepticism, Harshbarger affirms the dice’s fairness is rooted in solid mathematics, with any imperfections likely arising from the manufacturing process.
Ongoing research explores possibilities for fewer sides in a five-player set, with the current focus on the minimum of 30 sides and potential expansion to accommodate six players. Harshbarger acknowledges the unpredictable nature of the challenge, noting the allure of pursuing answers to seemingly unanswerable questions in mathematics.
