Article View: comp.arch
Article #12735Re: random number generator in hardware
From: radford
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1986 19:34
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1986 19:34
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1354 bytes
In article <7320@utzoo.UUCP>, henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) writes:
> > ... Why don't computers come with hardware random number generators?
> My understanding is that the problem is avoiding bias in the resulting
> numbers. Building a noise generator isn't hard, but one would like the
> probability of a 0 to be roughly equal to the probability of a 1. Getting
> this sort of balance, and *keeping* it, apparently is almost impossible
> without constant tweaking...
How about taking the exclusive-or of several such random bit generators?
This converges exponentially toward probability 1/2 as the number of
bits xor'ed increases.
Radford Neal
The University of Calgary
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Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!mnetor!seismo!ut-sally!husc6!rutgers!sri-spam!ames!ucbcad!ucbvax!decvax!tektronix!uw-beaver!ubc-vision!alberta!calgary!radford From: radford@calgary.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.arch Subject: Re: random number generator in hardware Message-ID: <516@vaxb.calgary.UUCP> Date: Tue, 18-Nov-86 14:34:54 EST Article-I.D.: vaxb.516 Posted: Tue Nov 18 14:34:54 1986 Date-Received: Thu, 20-Nov-86 22:44:12 EST References: <317@zuring.mcvax.UUCP> <267@bath63.UUCP>, <2490@phri.UUCP> <7320@utzoo.UUCP> Organization: U. of Calgary, Calgary, Ab. Lines: 15 Summary: How about this scheme?