The Last Slice

As dinner comes to a close, the dessert option is brought out. The main course is taken away and the pie or cake is served. The dish goes around the table and each member of the family takes a piece. The last two people are brothers. How is one supposed to divide this final slice? Who makes the rules of engagement in this test of brotherly love? A solution needs to be decided upon ahead of time so that there is no advantage to either person during the encounter. The older sibling getting the bigger piece is not cutting it anymore.
The most obvious solution is to cut two completely even slices. However, this method has some very large flaws. First, who makes the cut? If either of the brothers do it, bias is likely to be involved. This is easily solved by allowing a non-biased third party to enter the scene, such as a parent. Now there is the obstacle of who gets first pick. Regardless of how evenly cut the slices are, there are going to be differences that make one slice better than the other. Take a slice of cake, for example. One of the slices is bound to have better icing, making the slices uneven. The same is true for any other dessert dish. The disproportionate pieces make it difficult to see this as a fair way to divide the slices.
To solve the uneven slice problem, the brothers can use a random method of picking their piece. One random method could be having the third party pick a number and allow the brothers to guess it. Whoever guesses closest gets to pick first. Another easy randomization technique is rock-paper-scissors. Randomness can be unfair, and it is possible to stack the results in favor of one person. These randomization techniques are the second best solution, but there is still room for improvement.
The ultimate solution to the dilemma of the last slice is, ‘I cut, you choose.’ One of the brothers takes the knife, and carefully considers the most equal way to divide the piece into two slices. He makes the cut, and the second brother is free to choose the slice of his choice. This provides significant incentive for brother number one to make the slices even, because otherwise brother number two will get the bigger half. The next time this situation arises the roles are reversed, and brother number two makes the cut while brother number one picks his piece first. This eliminates bias and also provides a way around one brother getting lucky a significant amount of the time. In addition, neither one will be able to complain about the end result because he was in the process. The first brother has the opportunity to make the slices completely even, and the second brother has the chance to pick the bigger or better slice if it exists.
The most effective way to solve the issue of the last slice is to create a system that forces the brothers to make the slices even on their own. The ‘I cut, you choose’ method does just that. No longer will the younger brother eternally get the raw end of the deal. With this innovative solution the brothers will divide the slices as evenly as is physically possible.