During a gathering at a gaming convention in 2012, board game designer posed a challenge to mathematician Eric Harshbarger — create dice that could determine the starting player without any chance of a tie. The objective was to expedite the process and kickstart the game promptly.
Harshbarger, a senior lecturer at Auburn University and a mathematician, found the challenge intriguing. He envisioned a set of dice that would allow each player an equal opportunity to win without the possibility of a tie. However, translating this concept into functional dice proved to be a complex task.
After nearly 15 years of development and collaboration with a team of researchers, Harshbarger successfully created the Go First Dice for five players. These innovative dice ensure a fair determination of the starting player with a guaranteed winner from a single roll.
The journey to develop these unique dice involved numerous contributions from computer scientists and mathematicians worldwide. The initial success came with the creation of four 12-sided dice for up to four players. However, the challenge escalated when trying to accommodate five players.
After extensive research and experimentation, a breakthrough came when a researcher from Australia proposed using five 120-sided dice. This solution attracted global attention and led to further advancements, including a breakthrough by Canadian software engineer Paul Meyer, who devised a solution using five 60-sided dice.
Despite initial skepticism, Meyer’s approach, based on mathematical patterns and computational analysis, proved successful. The resulting golf-ball-sized dice are now commercially available, designed to deliver fairness in gameplay based on solid mathematical principles.
The research continues, with ongoing exploration into the feasibility of using fewer sides for a five-player set and potential expansion to accommodate six players. Harshbarger acknowledges the unpredictability of the process but remains committed to unraveling the complexities of this seemingly simple yet captivating mathematical challenge.