In 2012, during a conversation at a gaming event, a board game designer challenged mathematician Eric Harshbarger to create dice for determining the starting player without the chance of a tie. Harshbarger, a senior lecturer at Auburn University and a mathematician, embraced the challenge as it required a non-obvious solution, which intrigued him. After years of collaboration with researchers worldwide, Harshbarger and his team successfully devised a set of unique dice, known as the Go First Dice for five players, ensuring a fair and decisive outcome from a single roll.
The journey involved developing various dice prototypes, with the most challenging being the five-player set. Initially considering dice with an impractical number of sides, the team gradually refined their designs. A breakthrough came when an Australian researcher proposed a set of five 120-sided dice, and later a Canadian engineer, Paul Meyer, introduced a solution using five 60-sided dice. Meyer’s computational approach, based on mathematical patterns and extensive computer analysis, led to the successful discovery.
Despite concerns about practical implementation, Harshbarger affirms the dice’s fairness based on solid mathematical principles. The research continues, exploring the possibility of fewer sides for five-player dice and potential expansion to accommodate six players. Harshbarger acknowledges the unpredictability and allure of such mathematical challenges, emphasizing the dedication and persistence required in addressing complex yet intriguing problems over time.