@Frood:
Not quite sure what you’re talking about but I’ve tested my random number generator and it will average a roll of 3.5 on a d6.
I am not sure of being able to explain it better Frood! But I will try.
First I am not saying that dice rollers are not working well.
Really a dice roller, generating number from a pseudo random sequence, it is more “precise” than a real dice.
DarthMaximus showed with the test of 100 dices.
The problem I am trying to describe is related with the sequence of results, that is not possible to see from the preceding post because dice results are re-ordered, in ascending order.
I am trying to say that observing the results on a smaller period (for example every 10 results) it could be possible to found that results are almost all above the average. While in the following period they are almost all under the average.
If you roll dices and get in the "above average " sub-period you has been screewed.
If you roll dices and get in the “under average” sub-period then you have been lucky soring more hits.
I am not saying that the dice rollers are not correct. The nature of pesudo casual sequences grant that the average is 3.5 but may arise problem with smaller sequence of the results.
I try to explain it with a simulated experiment. Consider the following sequences of results :
(a) 1 6 2 4 3 5 2 4 1 5 3 6 3 5 2 6 1 4: Average 3.5
(b) 4 6 5 4 6 6 5 5 4 3 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 3: Average 3.5
© 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 1 1 1 2 2 2 : Average 3.5
All the above sequences have the same average but going in combat with the last one © is not a beutiful thing! If I attack with 6 inf and 6 tanks I score 0 hits. Then defender defends with 6 infantry and score 6 hits!
The second sequence (b) has the same problem, having in the first half sequence (4 6 5 4 6 6 5 5 4 ) with an average of 5. The second half sequence is (3 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 3) with an average of 2.
The first sequence (a) suffers less from this problem, first sub sequence is (1 6 2 4 3 5 2 4 1) averaging 3,11 the second subsequence is (5 3 6 3 5 2 6 1 4) averaging 3,88.
So my point is: pseudo random sequences have such kinds of oscillation? I mean on the long run they are almost “perfect dices” but analyzing the sequence in smaller segments has ever been made?
This is only an hypotesis, I may be wrong and this is not a real problem.
Addendum:
I made an experiment in the threads regarding dice roller, using 100 dices@1, that are not reoredered. Results are:
Considering sub sequences of 10 results, and calculating the number of values between 1 and 3 and the avereage of each sub sequence, we have:
Average hits (1,2,3)
3,1 0
2,8 3
3,4 2
3,6 2
3,3 2
4 1
3,4 2
2,7 3
3,8 2
3,2 3
Each sequence of 10 numbers is “well equilibrated” (never more than 3 hits)
there are sequences like the sixth that averages 4 and get only one hit. But it seems that my hypothesis is not completely true.
There is an oscillation of the averages but its seems not a problem that may really hurt.