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RE: random numbers?

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg46119] RE: [mg46110] random numbers?
• From: "David Park" <djmp at earthlink.net>
• Date: Sat, 7 Feb 2004 04:02:01 -0500 (EST)
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

Sean,

The implementation notes say

Random uses the Wolfram rule 30 cellular automaton generator for integers.
It uses a Marsaglia-Zaman subtract-with-borrow generator for real numbers.

If that helps!

But remember that Johnny von Neumann said something like: "Anyone who
expects an arithmetical process to produce a random number is, of course,
living in sin."

David Park
djmp at earthlink.net
http://home.earthlink.net/~djmp/

From: sean kim [mailto:sean_incali at yahoo.com]
To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net

hello group.

this is gonna sound silly.

How do ppl make random number generators?   is a random number
generator like a routine that picks a given set of different number
then goes back to the beginning and starts over?

How does mathematica determine if a numbder is random?  or is that
even a right question to ask?

I just wanted to know what the random generator is. and how it's used
in Mathematica.

maybe i'm asking alot.

thanks in advance