🚀 go-pugleaf

Hi Kris!
This is a really excellent question.  Numbers generated by computers are
not really random as you suspected.  There are a numerous algorithms to
generate random numbers and they typically use a 'seed' value.  The
'random' function generator on your computer will use some event as a seed
(system clock for example).  Since this value is changing regularly and is
not very likely to be the same at anytime when you actually envoke this
algorith, the resulting number will never be the same.

If however you use the same seed, you'll get the same 'random' number! 
Generating 'good' random numbers becomes a big deal when your trying to
generate crytographic keys...it starts to become as much an art as a
science.

Ted Bush
kn7h@worldnet.att.net

Kris Vorwerk <vorwerk@myself.com> wrote in article
<01bc370e$5816f2a0$714fb1ce@kvorwerk.sudburyrc.edu.on.ca>...
For some time, I have been wondering how computers and calculators
"calculate" (or choose) a random number.  Do they use some time of
mathematical equation or algorithm?  If so, how can the number be truly
random?

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