Lottery Prediction Request

By:  CDEX

We live in a rural community which is getting ready to hold its annual Autumn fair.

One of the major events is the "Cow Flop Lotto".

A grid of squares is laid out and chalked on the local high school's sports field.  It's a "10-by-10" grid.  It consists of 10 rows of 10 columns, so there are 100 squares.  Each square is approximately 5 feet long and wide.

People "pick" a square for $5 each, so the town's total take is $500.  The Jackpot prize is $250.  The remaining $250 goes to charities.

A hush settles over the crowd as the Lotto game begins, and lasts for about five seconds.  Then the cheering and encouragement begin.

As the game is played, one of the local farmer's cows is led through the matrix.  The cow has been well fed prior to the drawing.

The cow enters the matrix at coordinates (row,column) 1,1.  She proceeds row by row -- forward across row 1, then returning across row 2, then forward across row 3, and so on.  The cow's pace is leisurely.

Eventually, Nature selects the winning square.

If a square has not been selected during her first traversal of the matrix, the cow is returned via a columnar path.  Thus the matrix is traversed in alternating horizontal and vertical ladder patterns.  The cow usually appears unconcerned.

The happy Jackpot winner gets his or her 250 dollars.  The cow gets praise.

Now comes the plea for help.

I have the game's history of winning squares.  However please note:  the same cow is not used in successive years.  The town cannily changes the draw machine (there is no ball set) prior to each draw.

There is not any pre-draw trial to test the draw machine.  It is presumed that the cow will work properly.  There is no record of the lottery ever having failed to produce a winning result.

During the game, the crowd's encouragement to the cow ("Now, Baby, Now!" and, "Go! Go!") seems to have no special effect.  At least, not on the, well, outcome of the cow's decision.

I have tried various software programs and they have been of only marginal help.  Some seem to work better than others.

I would consider using a neural network, but have limited knowledge of a cow's neurology.  Now I regret a wasted education.

The Israelis have successfully implemented a milk-processing plant that functions as an artificial cow.  It is of vital use in arid environments where rangeland is limited.  The machine is fed fodder that normally would be rejected or of limited nutrition to a real cow (e.g., tumbleweeds), and is able to produce milk.  It also produces waste material.  However I believe that this cow model would be of very limited use in the Lotto application, and have not contacted the Israelis.

I measured each of the 100 squares using a tape measure.  This took a considerable amount of time.  I did this in the hope that some of the squares might be slightly larger or smaller due to tolerances in the chalking, thus giving me an edge in forecasting the lottery's outcome.  The differences were negligible, which I would not say about the glances and remarks I received from townspeople.

I would like to work with an 'integrated forecasting model' that has been 'empirically validated' to handle both 'systematic and error variables' to achieve predictive accuracy -- e.g., to feed a whole bovine herd and then lead them bossies right smack through that matrix.  However the town objects to such use of the high school sports field.  I had to rule out the use of any other field for simulating my 'process model', because that one field is the only flat spot in town.  And besides, it is also the only area in town that is not already spattered with cows' decisions.  I waited for the town's Forces of Irrationality to self-destruct, but they only looked at me and shook their heads.  What is a true scientist to do?

How does one go about winning this lottery game?

Is there any way to crack its code?  Is there a way to reveal its secret?

Any suggestion is appreciated.  Can anyone help?

Many thanks,

CDEX