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# wheel algorithms?

Topic closed. 42 replies. Last post 9 months ago by SergeM.

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United States
Member #130800
July 25, 2012
67 Posts
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 Posted: February 19, 2013, 3:14 pm - IP Logged

I am interested in learning about lottery wheel algorithms, specifically for abbreviated wheels.

And I am interested in techniques for proving that the resulting wheel is "mathematically minimal" (and "balanced"?)

(What makes a wheel "well-balanced"?  Is it just some subjective concept of the "variety" or "scope" of numbers; for example, 1 2 3 4 5 might be "poorly balanced", whereas 1 12 23 34 45 might be considered "well-balanced"?  Or is there a more-rigorous definition of "balanced"?)

Please note that I am interested in algorithms, not the wheels themselves.

So pointing me to the Lottery Wheels link is not sufficient, unless I overlooked a link to algorithms per se (where?).  Also, since I am not a gold or platinum member, the links there to particular wheels are not useful to me (other than as good examples).

However, there is a reference there to a book by Iliya Bluskov.  Does that book describe wheeling algorithms in sufficient detail to implement in a computer language?  Or does the book simply provide the wheels themselves?

(Or perhaps someone here can offer an algorithm in sufficient detail.)

A Google search has turned up some implementations.  I am still looking through the links.  However, the ones that I have seen so far are implemented in C++.  Although I have a lot of experience with C, I struggle to understand C++ implementations.  An implementation in C or VBA would be helpful.

In any case, I'm not sure I will know how to prove that the results are "good", much less "mathematically minimal".

For example, the wiki lottery wheel page (as well as a link in this forum's Lottery Wheel Pick-6 page) claims that an abbreviated wheel for 4-if-4-of-8 can be covered with as few as 7 tickets for 6-draw lottery.  I can easily do that in 15 tickets.  But I have not yet been able to pare that down to 7, even manually, much less algorithmically.  (Moreover, my algorithm is not extensible to more 8 favored numbers.)

I would be grateful if someone could show me a 7-ticket wheel for 4-if-4-of-8 for a 6-draw lottery.  Then at least I know what I am shooting for.

Station C:\somewhere\in\space\time
Fiji
Member #123705
February 27, 2012
2195 Posts
Offline
 Posted: February 19, 2013, 6:43 pm - IP Logged

Could you post the C++ code?

United States
Member #116272
September 7, 2011
20244 Posts
Offline
 Posted: February 19, 2013, 6:51 pm - IP Logged

I believe the wheels on LP are for the use of premium members. I wish you the best on your project and hope you come up with some winning numbers that you can share with the rest of us. Welcome to LP.

Wheel:  Pick 5 Abbreviated 4 if 4 of 8

Tickets:  20

Description:  Minimum 4-number match, if 4 numbers drawn fall within your set of 8 numbers.

Input:  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

1. 01-02-03-04-07
2. 01-02-03-04-08
3. 01-02-03-05-06
4. 01-02-04-05-07
5. 01-02-04-05-08
6. 01-02-04-06-07
7. 01-02-04-06-08
8. 01-02-04-07-08
9. 01-03-04-05-06
10. 01-03-05-07-08
11. 01-03-06-07-08
12. 01-05-06-07-08
13. 02-03-04-05-06
14. 02-03-05-06-07
15. 02-03-05-06-08
16. 02-03-06-07-08
17. 02-04-05-07-08
18. 03-04-05-06-07
19. 03-04-05-06-08
20. 03-04-06-07-08

Station C:\somewhere\in\space\time
Fiji
Member #123705
February 27, 2012
2195 Posts
Offline
 Posted: February 19, 2013, 7:00 pm - IP Logged

I believe the wheels on LP are for the use of premium members. I wish you the best on your project and hope you come up with some winning numbers that you can share with the rest of us. Welcome to LP.

Wheel:  Pick 5 Abbreviated 4 if 4 of 8

Tickets:  20

Description:  Minimum 4-number match, if 4 numbers drawn fall within your set of 8 numbers.

Input:  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

1. 01-02-03-04-07
2. 01-02-03-04-08
3. 01-02-03-05-06
4. 01-02-04-05-07
5. 01-02-04-05-08
6. 01-02-04-06-07
7. 01-02-04-06-08
8. 01-02-04-07-08
9. 01-03-04-05-06
10. 01-03-05-07-08
11. 01-03-06-07-08
12. 01-05-06-07-08
13. 02-03-04-05-06
14. 02-03-05-06-07
15. 02-03-05-06-08
16. 02-03-06-07-08
17. 02-04-05-07-08
18. 03-04-05-06-07
19. 03-04-05-06-08
20. 03-04-06-07-08

 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 5 1 2 3 6 1 2 3 7 1 2 3 8 1 2 4 5 1 2 4 6 1 2 4 7 1 2 4 8 1 2 5 6 1 2 5 7 1 2 5 8 1 2 6 7 1 2 6 8 1 2 7 8 1 3 4 5 1 3 4 6 1 3 4 7 1 3 4 8 1 3 5 6 1 3 5 7 1 3 5 8 1 3 6 7 1 3 6 8 1 3 7 8 1 4 5 6 1 4 5 7 1 4 5 8 1 4 6 7 1 4 6 8 1 4 7 8 1 5 6 7 1 5 6 8 1 5 7 8 1 6 7 8 2 3 4 5 2 3 4 6 2 3 4 7 2 3 4 8 2 3 5 6 2 3 5 7 2 3 5 8 2 3 6 7 2 3 6 8 2 3 7 8 2 4 5 6 2 4 5 7 2 4 5 8 2 4 6 7 2 4 6 8 2 4 7 8 2 5 6 7 2 5 6 8 2 5 7 8 2 6 7 8 3 4 5 6 3 4 5 7 3 4 5 8 3 4 6 7 3 4 6 8 3 4 7 8 3 5 6 7 3 5 6 8 3 5 7 8 3 6 7 8 4 5 6 7 4 5 6 8 4 5 7 8 4 6 7 8 5 6 7 8

Greece
Member #2815
November 18, 2003
472 Posts
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 Posted: February 19, 2013, 7:51 pm - IP Logged

The only known to me available source for wheeling code is the old Cover32 program (not sure if it is still somewhere available). What source code do you refer to, because such things are really hard to find mostly because abbreviated wheel development is based on unique heuristics and nobody really wants to share his own work (I also have developed mine from scratch because I really couldn't find any source to work on - the same problem you face).

Also Iliya Bluskov's books do not contain any info on wheel development. Most of his wheels are based on theories and are optimal or near-optimal constructions. I also have a few wheels of mine in his lotto 6 book made by my program simply because no optimal theory-based solution has been found for those few instances.

For your final question on 4if4if8, the general case is that we cannot approach the theoretical minimum. Given a covering v,k,t,m=b, the computed general theoretical minimum assumes the covering can be made as "pack design" which means every combination that must be covered to offer 100% guarantee, it is covered by one and only one block of the covering. Such a property is possible in some t=m constructions and maybe very few t < m constructions (if any). Therefore the general theoretical minimum is just a lowest boundary which can't be reached in most cases. Very advanced mathematics can compute a better lowest bound (higher than the general theoretical) for some classes of v,k,t,m coverings but even these may not be possible to reach. So your 4if8, given it is a t < m construction it will not approach the theoretical minimum simply because there is an unavoidable overlap among the blocks of the covering.

By the way, 4if4of8 means nothing, you need 4 parameters to define a wheel.

Florida
United States
Member #135622
November 27, 2012
327 Posts
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 Posted: February 19, 2013, 11:03 pm - IP Logged

I've created a system myself and have been struggling with how to best wheel the result. My main fault seems to be that I'm going for the gold, a straight. I could position the numbers I play and play them boxed but... hopefully that's not me just being greedy.

As for wheels themselves, I think that depends greatly on what system is being used, how the numbers are generated, etc. I would think (with my limited experience) that trying to create a blanket wheel that covered all circumstances would be a lesson in futility.

Although, if you come up with a wheel that isn't around or maybe a modification you'd like to see on an existing wheel, let me know. If you'd like to work together, I've been toying with the idea of adding some wheels to my site but I have to do more research...

Dump Water Florida
United States
Member #380
June 5, 2002
2803 Posts
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 Posted: February 20, 2013, 3:14 am - IP Logged

Balanced is taken to mean each number on the wheel appears the same number of times.  It is not always possible for a wheel to be perfectly balanced and optimal / tightest at the same time.

If you mean (8,6,4,4)=7 CoverMaster made this in about one second.

1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 5 6 7
1 2 3 5 6 8
1 2 4 6 7 8
1 3 4 5 7 8
2 3 4 6 7 8
2 4 5 6 7 8
100% (8,6,4,4)=7 not balanced

BobP

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL & REMEMBER TO SWING!
NYC
United States
Member #124498
March 14, 2012
6163 Posts
Online
 Posted: February 20, 2013, 4:58 am - IP Logged

Dont get crazy trying to develop wheels, unless you plan to sell them.  But you will have LOTS of competition.

I would focus on learning on how to pick the correct numbers!!!!

Three power number wheels are generally the best in IMHO. But make sure you get them right!

I win money in the lottery.  I do my best to win money in the lottery.

In LOTTO, if you think LONG, then you think WRONG.

Cape Town
South Africa
Member #66343
October 23, 2008
110 Posts
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 Posted: February 20, 2013, 5:16 am - IP Logged

This might be a useful place to start:

Station C:\somewhere\in\space\time
Fiji
Member #123705
February 27, 2012
2195 Posts
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 Posted: February 20, 2013, 7:17 am - IP Logged

Great program!

Station C:\somewhere\in\space\time
Fiji
Member #123705
February 27, 2012
2195 Posts
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 Posted: February 20, 2013, 7:21 am - IP Logged
 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 6 1 2 3 4 7 1 2 3 4 8 1 2 3 5 6 1 2 3 5 7 1 2 3 5 8 1 2 3 6 7 1 2 3 6 8 1 2 3 7 8

In Belgium you get forms for this, upper box for key numbers and lower box for wheel numbers in all combinations. Full wheels also are offered, just put more crosses in one box. For a 10 number wheel, you just cross ten numbers on the form, for 10 euros, I believe. All you have to do is picking the right numbers.

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL & REMEMBER TO SWING!
NYC
United States
Member #124498
March 14, 2012
6163 Posts
Online
 Posted: February 22, 2013, 4:23 am - IP Logged

An Abbreviated Lottery Wheel generates a combination that is much less in number
than that generated by full wheels to guarantee wins other than the jackpot. The
design of an abbreviated wheel itself is not a simple matter; there is no
formula for it and is mostly a result of iterations and trials and errors. In
fact, in mathematics, it is called Covering Design and belongs to a
branch of mathematics called Combinatorics.

I win money in the lottery.  I do my best to win money in the lottery.

In LOTTO, if you think LONG, then you think WRONG.

Money Chri$tma$
U\$A
United States
Member #106669
February 22, 2011
13508 Posts
Offline
 Posted: February 22, 2013, 7:19 am - IP Logged

An Abbreviated Lottery Wheel generates a combination that is much less in number
than that generated by full wheels to guarantee wins other than the jackpot. The
design of an abbreviated wheel itself is not a simple matter; there is no
formula for it and is mostly a result of iterations and trials and errors. In
fact, in mathematics, it is called Covering Design and belongs to a
branch of mathematics called Combinatorics.

bgonÃ§alves
Brasil
Member #92566
June 9, 2010
1319 Posts
Offline
 Posted: February 22, 2013, 7:53 am - IP Logged
Hello, let's try to innovate, wheels to catch small awards through an array with mirrors example of an array 49/6
Matrix 7 x 7 =
Then, the example below also do vertically,
0000xxx
0
0
X
X
X
0
Goal, and see small segentos in 7 rows and 7 columns with 3 and 4 segments with mirror,
Note has cross threads with 0000 xxx column line, catching so accumulated hits segments, and aainda see the positions, but in order to fit this need help from more advanced members of the lp. Keep under the brim of hat. ahhh!!!
When it mounts the eescolher 7 x 7 array in rows and columns randomly distributed, couple take the gain setting within the thread, normal and mirror
12, 02, 15, 26, 35, 48.49
15. ...
08
26
35
39
40
Unique Wheels
x x  o o o x x
o x x o x x o
o x o x o x o

Mirror Wheels
x x x o o o o
o o o o x x x

x x o x o o o
o o o x o x x

x x o o x o o
o o x o o x x

x x o o o x o
o x o o o x x

x x o o o o x
x o o o o x x

x o x x o o o
o o o x x o x

x o x o x o o
o o x o x o x

x o x o o x o
o x o o x o x

x o x o o o x
x o o o x o x

x o o x x o o
o o x x o o x

x o o x o x o
o x o x o o x

x o o o x x o
o x x o o o x

o x x x o o o
o o o x x x o

o x x o x o o
o o x o x x o

o x x o o x o
o x o o x x o

o x o x x o o
o o x x o x o

Wheel 3 = X
Wheel 4 = o
The least used wheel in lottery;
x o x o o o x
x o o o x o x
Station C:\somewhere\in\space\time
Fiji
Member #123705
February 27, 2012
2195 Posts
Offline
 Posted: February 22, 2013, 1:47 pm - IP Logged
 X X X O O O O X X O X O O O X X O O X O O X X O O O X O X X O O O O X X O X X O O O X O X O X O O X O X O O X O X O X O O O X X O O X X O O X O O X O X O X O O X O O X X O O O X X O X O O O X O X X O O O O X X O X X X O O O O X X O X O O O X X O O X O O X X O O O X O X O X X O O O X O X O X O O X O X O O X O X O O X X O O X O O X O X O X O O O X X O O X X X O O O O X X O X O O O X X O O X O O X O X X O O O X O X O X O O X O O X X O O O X X X O O O O X X O X O O O X O X X O O O O X X X

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