For better organization, you are encouraged to separate the items you wish to keep in a separate container or location to avoid confusion with other items you intend to sell, donate, or throw away. Mutual agreement between siblings or other family members can decide who will keep which sentimental objects without further dispute. A mathematical algorithm was developed to fairly distribute an inheritance among the siblings within a family. The algorithm developed is to divide the inheritance between them equally. For example, a deceased parent left an antique firearms collection to be divided equally between his four children. There was an uneven number of items of varying values. Each sibling wanted some of the same items. The solution was to have the collection assessed, item by item, by a professional dealer. This established a total worth for the collection, such that each sibling knew the dollar worth of his or her part. The collection was laid out in a room, each piece tagged by value. A coin flip decided which sibling would choose an item first, second, and so on. The siblings went around the room choosing until their value was reached. In the end, the siblings did not have the same number of items, but had each received an equal share of the collection’s value. In the event of serious disputes over the equal distribution of items between heirs, the family can resort to working with a mediator to resolve a fair distribution of items or properties. This is an equitable system for when the family does not wish to liquidate the assets or rejects joint ownership between heirs. Each member submits his or her own prioritized list of items to the mediator. The mediator then prepares a list for each member of the family of the items allocated for each of them. Each
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