Re: random number generator

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Article #12

#12

From: Pete Becker
Date: Sun, 01 Jun 2003 17:51

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Emmanuel Delahaye wrote:
> 
> In 'comp.lang.c', Pete Becker <petebecker@acm.org> wrote:
> 
> >> > 1st number genereated: 2
> >> > 2nd number generated: 6
> >> > 3rd number generated: 2 (WRONG!!! bad "period" as they say I think)
> >>
> >> If you don't like your built-in pseudo-random generator (srand() once,
> >> rand() many times), you can implement your own. Search "Mersenne
> >> Twister" on Google.
> >
> > Won't help. A random number generator that doesn't repeat values isn't
> > random.
> 
> AFAIK, there is no 'random' generator here. Just PRNG (pseudo-random
> generator).

Sigh. Life is too short for this sort of hypertechnical tripe.

> Do you mean that inside it's period, a PRNG must have
> repetitions? In that case, it means that some values are missing. Always. Not
> very good, IMO.

I mean what I said: a long series of "random" numbers that has no
repetitions is highly suspect. Regardless, replacing rand with some
other generator won't solve the original problem.

-- 

Pete Becker
Dinkumware, Ltd. (http://www.dinkumware.com)

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From: Pete Becker <petebecker@acm.org>
Newsgroups: att.lang.c++,comp.lang.c,comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: random number generator
Date: Sun, 01 Jun 2003 13:51:20 -0400
Organization: Dinkumware, Ltd
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