A mathematician named Eric Harshbarger was presented with a challenge during a gaming convention dinner in 2012. A board game designer asked him to create dice that could determine the starting player without the possibility of a tie, aiming to streamline the game setup process.
Harshbarger, a mathematician and senior lecturer at Auburn University, saw this as an intriguing problem that required a unique solution. After years of collaboration with computer scientists and mathematicians worldwide, a set of four 12-sided dice was developed to provide a fair outcome for two, three, or four players.
However, designing dice for five players proved to be more complex. Various theories were explored to create practical solutions, leading to the development of a set of five 120-sided dice. Subsequently, a Canadian software engineer named Paul Meyer contributed to the project by proposing a solution using five 60-sided dice, which was verified and proven effective.
The dice, known as the Go First Dice, were meticulously crafted to ensure fairness in determining the starting player. Despite some skepticism from researchers about practical application, Harshbarger asserts the mathematical integrity of the dice design.
Ongoing research aims to refine the dice further, exploring the possibility of using fewer sides for a five-player set and potentially expanding the concept to accommodate six players. Harshbarger emphasizes the unpredictable nature of mathematical challenges, highlighting the allure of pursuing solutions to seemingly unconventional questions in the field.