🚀 go-pugleaf

	Someone wants to know hos to create random numbers on a computer.


	This sounds trivial but it is not. First you need a good definition
	of a random number. The definition required is as follows.


	1. The number shall be contained within a range, say 0 - 255

	2. The probability of selecting and number at any time will
	 be 1:256.

	3. No sequencies shall exist, ever.....

	If an algorithm is used than sooner or later some condition will
	be met that restarts the sequence. This is why these routines are 
	usually called pseudo-random generators. Also, they very often
	favour some numbers and therefore the selection distribution is not
	even.

	Rather than develop complex routines than generate very long
	sequencies of numbers a common approach is to use a relatively
	short but uniform repeating sequence and use an external influence
	to index into it. For games etc this external influence is time
	between user actions or keystrokes. If a fast clock is used, say
	1 MHz then something that approaches random selection is produced.
	Kinda like those electronic dice that are simply counters that run
	when you press the button and stop when you let go. Its random
	because you can't accuratly control your finger within the scale
	of the clock.
	
	However, when being used for a completely internal purpose such as
	providing numbers for a number-cruncher where the time between 
	selections is fixed and repeating then the resultant numbers 
	produced are not random. Sometimes, though, thats exactly what 
	you want, to be able to repeat the experiment. 

	Hardware random number generation can be done using something that
	counts random events, like the atmospheric noise froma tuned out
	radio etc. 
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--
       >|  "Only average people            | Trevor J German BSc    |<
       >|        never make mistakes."     | NCR, Waterloo, Ontario |<
       >| tjgerman@53iss6.Waterloo.NCR.COM | Canada.                |<