Deterministic Raffle Winner Selection via Cryptographic Hashing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional raffle systems, whether mechanical or computer-based, face challenges in ensuring fairness and transparency, especially in online raffles, where participants lack trust in the administrator and struggle to verify the randomness of the winner selection process.
Innovation Solution
A deterministic raffle system using a server and client computers connected via a network, where participants generate and encrypt their entry data, which is then processed using deterministic mathematical functions to select a winner, ensuring transparency and verifiability without relying on randomness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional mechanical or computer-based random number generators are used to select winners, then the raffle process is simple to implement, but participants cannot verify the fairness and transparency of the selection process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical (spinning wheel) or computer-based random number generator systems with a cryptographic system using hash functions. Entry data is processed through deterministic mathematical functions (SHA-256, RIPEMD-160, HMAC-SHA512) that allow public verification while maintaining security. This substitution enables participants to verify fairness through cryptographic proofs rather than trusting opaque random processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cryptographic hash functions as intermediaries between entry data and winner selection. These functions act as trusted mediators that transform entry data into verifiable outputs without revealing sensitive information. The hash functions provide a mathematical guarantee of fairness that participants can independently verify, eliminating the need to trust the raffle administrator.
2Reliability
If entry data is kept secret to prevent manipulation, then the raffle security is improved, but participants cannot verify that their entries were processed correctly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of entry data from plaintext to hashed form. By transforming entry data through cryptographic hash functions, the system maintains security (hashed data cannot be reversed to obtain original entries) while enabling verification (participants can re-hash their entries and compare with published results). This parameter transformation resolves the contradiction between secrecy and verifiability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates cryptographic copies of entry data through hash functions. Instead of storing or transmitting sensitive original data, the system publishes hash values that serve as verifiable copies. Participants can generate their own copies by hashing their entries locally and compare with published results, ensuring verification without exposing sensitive information.
3Reliability
If deterministic mathematical functions are used instead of random generators, then the selection process becomes verifiable and reproducible, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex random number generation mechanisms with relatively simple deterministic hash function applications. Hash functions like SHA-256, while computationally intensive, have well-established implementations and can be verified through straightforward mathematical operations. This substitution achieves verifiability with manageable complexity compared to building trusted random generation systems.
4Reliability
If all entry data is published for verification, then transparency is improved, but the risk of manipulation and security breaches increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of published data from original entry data to hashed values. By publishing only hash results rather than raw entry data, the system achieves transparency (participants can verify their entries were processed correctly) while maintaining security (hashed values cannot be reversed to obtain sensitive information or enable manipulation).
Data Source
AI summary
A method, system, and device for securely and deterministically selecting a winner for a raffle taking into account content from the raffle tickets of the raffle. Each raffle ticket comprises entry data for obtaining an entry number such that the entry data is strongly encrypted by the client computer for communication over the computer network to the server computer. Decrypting, at the server computer, the entry data. Obtaining a first output related to the raffle by computing a first deterministic mathematical function taking a first plurality of inputs, wherein the first plurality of inputs comprise the entry numbers. Selecting a winning raffle ticket by obtaining a second output related to the raffle by computing a second deterministic mathematical mapping function taking as a second input the first output of the first mathematical function, wherein the second output corresponds to the winning raffle ticket.