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RE: Random Trouble

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg39204] RE: [mg39178] Random Trouble
• From: "Donald A. Darling" <ddarling at math.uci.edu>
• Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2003 01:10:37 -0500 (EST)
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

> I have a program which uses a random number in several places - the same
> number in a given run of the program. When I implement the program however
> the number changes in every new call to it.  I've tried to overcome this
> using "Which", "Hold", "Verbatim", and others, all to no avail.  Any help
> greatly appreciated.

Try using = instead of :=.

r = Random[];

Then use r throughout the program.  Using r := Random[] (or just Random[])
instead would cause a fresh random number to be sampled each time r appears.

Rob Pratt
Department of Operations Research
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

rpratt at email.unc.edu

http://www.unc.edu/~rpratt/

Rob - This doesn't work for me.  If I try

F[n_]=Table[Random[Real,{-1,1}],{n}]

I get a different sequence for F[5] each time I use it.  

Don Darling