OpenEuphoria

Re: Separate threads of random numbers

• Posted by Dan Moyer <DANIELMOYER at prodigy.net> Apr 11, 2002
• 416 views

Or use some portions of the output of a webcam pointed at a busy street, or,
of course, at a lava light :)

Dan Moyer

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kat" <gertie at PELL.NET>
To: "EUforum" <EUforum at topica.com>
Subject: RE: Separate threads of random numbers


>
> On 10 Apr 2002, at 16:57, Rod Jackson wrote:
>
> >
> > Andy Serpa wrote:
> > >
> > > > Looks good, but will this avoid any algorithmic pitfalls? I.e.,
> > > > one thread in 100 finds a quirk in the psuedorandom algorithm
> > > > and continually brings up the same number over and over? Stuff
> > > > like that can be a headache....
> > > >
> > >
> > > That's the sort of thing I need to avoid, and is the reason for
> > > separating the threads.  Under the proposed system, how would the same
> > > number keep repeated itself?  Could you detail the possible "chain"
that
> > >
> > > worries you?
> >
> > Well, just off the top of my head...
> >
> > Thread #5 might have a unique, "problematic" seed value to start
> > out. This seed value will generate a random number like usual, and
> > of course the next number could then be used as the new seed. This
> > new seed will then generate a new random number, but then the next
> > number is the same as the ORIGINAL seed value. That number then
> > replaces the new seed, so in essence the seed just keeps switching
> > between two numbers.
>
> <snip>
>
> I have often wondered why people don't look to nature for random numbers.
> There, i was just wondering it again! Like, take a random weather reading
> from a list of locations around the world, perform random math on it with
a
> reading from another location, or a random number of random readings. Or
> against the 3D location in the sky of a random planetary body. Even if one
> cannot do this in real time, one can bank the readings for use as needed,
or
> as seed values in conventional random number generator. This would give
> you values no one has control over, and are unlikely to be repeatable.
Scope
> might be a problem, or significant digits, so loop the random math
operations
> untill you get the digits (altho this will put you somewhat at the mercy
of the
> math chip peculiarities).
>
> Kat
>