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How does that verify anything? You still flipped the coin, then wrote the sentence. The two do not have to be related (say you flip the coin and get heads, th

• RiderOfGiraffes 17y ago
  Er, yes, but they call. It doesn't matter if I choose whatever I like, then send the hash. The other person then has a free choice, and they are right or wrong. The coin is effectively irrelevant. Imagine we're together and I pretend to toss the coin. I decide what I want it to be, place it as that, and then hold it in my hand. Provided I'm not allowed to change my mind, this is just as fair as actually tossing the coin because you are free to call and are right or wrong with equal probability. The point about the real coin is that it prevents me from changing my mind. The point about the hash is it prevents me from changing my mind. In effect, the hash is the coin. I am free to decide heads or tails as I wish - I just need to be prevented from changing my mind after you call.
  • dgreensp 17y ago
    Sounds like it works to me, except that the lack of the actual coin flip introduces an interesting psychological element -- it's kind of like rock-paper-scissors. Two people say "heads" or "tails", and person A wins if they are the same, else B. You can be thinking things like "he usually says 'heads', but maybe he'll try to psyche me out..."
    • RiderOfGiraffes 17y ago
      That's why person A should actually flip the coin. People are really bad at choosing "randomly."