Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: stormhill

Well, my first pass seems to have generated a novel about The Fonz .... it spit out “AYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY” .... I must have a bug :p.

In all seriousness, it is impossible to create a true random number generator on a computer. One can create psuedorandom generators, but there will always be an underlying pattern to the numbers generated. Some generators I’ve used have also sampled the outside world via temperature and optical sensors .... still, its not “truly” random. LFSRs are among the worst generators, but are commonly used in applications where randomness isnt exactly critical as they are simple and cheap in either software or hardware designs :).


56 posted on 09/01/2012 9:37:46 PM PDT by edh (I need a better tagline)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies ]


To: edh
it is impossible to create a true random number generator on a computer

I had this in the back of my mind when I mentioned "intelligence." But my real objection is the idea that randomness leads to chaos, not order.

Still LOL about the Fonz!

60 posted on 09/01/2012 9:45:19 PM PDT by stormhill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies ]

To: edh

I’ve seen random “dice” generators that seem to work. As you would expect, after only 1,000 rolls or so, the frequency distribution can be quite skewed, as it usually is in real life, btw. But after you get up there, beyond millions of rolls, each of the numbers consistently converge on it’s 16.66% theoretical probability.

Would your random number generator not do this?


61 posted on 09/01/2012 9:46:00 PM PDT by kevao (Is your ocean any lower than it was four years ago?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson