A question of dice -- answer only if you're old enough.

[Driddle]

(If you're not old enough to legally buy into a lottery, you can't answer this one.)

For those of you who live in a state that offers some sort of lottery ticket system, have you ever picked your numbers by using your gaming dice? ... And rolled them in front of strangers as you filled out the card?

Be honest.

 

[Jdvn1]

Never. Good idea, though.

 

[Driddle]

And, yes, I've sometimes made my contribution to our local education system (school districts get a majority of the lottery income here) after consulting my lucky dice.

 

[deltadave]

Unfortunately, in California the range of numbers is 1-56. Obviously makes it difficult to do with a single polyhedral die, and multiple die rolls will skew the number selections away from a flat random curve.

On a side note, I wonder if anyone has ever done a mathematical analysis of the winning numbers and found whether they are truly a random distribution...

 

[Slife]

Unfortunately, in California the range of numbers is 1-56. Obviously makes it difficult to do with a single polyhedral die, and multiple die rolls will skew the number selections away from a flat random curve.

On a side note, I wonder if anyone has ever done a mathematical analysis of the winning numbers and found whether they are truly a random distribution...

Most of them certainly are not. They're deliberately set up not to allow repeat numbers.

 

[WampusCat43]

Haven't bought lottery tickets with them, but I have taken a d12 to the horse track to roll superfecta combinations and such.

Didn't work, though.

 

[Kastil]

Nope. I use birthdays or hockey player's sweater number.

 

[Nadaka]

Most of them certainly are not. They're deliberately set up not to allow repeat numbers.

um... real randomness allows repeated numers, so I am not shure what you are talking about.

An ideal computerized random number generator takes numbers from several sources and combines them before sending them through a randomness algorithm (wich doesn't actually generate the number).

Me? I would use the hash code for the generating object, the system clock time and a measure from an uncontrolable physical effect (ideally a measure of a random quantum state, but a few insignificant digits off the CPU temp would suffice).

 

[Contrarian]

Unfortunately, in California the range of numbers is 1-56. Obviously makes it difficult to do with a single polyhedral die, and multiple die rolls will skew the number selections away from a flat random curve.

Roll a d14 and a d4.

If the d4 result is 1, add 0 to the d14's result.
If the d4 result is 2, add 14 to the d14's result.
If the d4 result is 3, add 28 to the d14's result.
If the d4 result is 4, add 42 to the d14's result.

Equal chance of any number from 1 to 56.

 

[ssampier]

No I haven't. My state doesn't have a lottery though.

um... real randomness allows repeated numers, so I am not shure what you are talking about.

An ideal computerized random number generator takes numbers from several sources and combines them before sending them through a randomness algorithm (wich doesn't actually generate the number).

Me? I would use the hash code for the generating object, the system clock time and a measure from an uncontrolable physical effect (ideally a measure of a random quantum state, but a few insignificant digits off the CPU temp would suffice).

It really doesn't matter what you use to pick the numbers, it's all (for lack of a better word) random. Lottery is a independent trial, so the past draws do not matter. The only real consideration is whether you might have to share your prize with people with the same numbers (odd of which increase when more people play).