Re: Random bits (generation)
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg35120] Re: [mg35045] Random bits (generation)
- From: Daniel Lichtblau <danl at wolfram.com>
- Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2002 03:42:35 -0400 (EDT)
- References: <200206210354.XAA08580@smc.vnet.net>
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
"DIAMOND Mark R." wrote:
>
> I am not sure whether anyone other than a Wolfram guru will know the answer
> to this. ...
>
> (1) If I wish to generate a large number of random bits, what is the fastest
> way?
> (2) What is the safest way in the sense of being able to expect the bit
> sequence to pass Marsaglia's Diehard battery of tests Maurer's Universal
> Statistical Test.? or is this requirement impossible to meet with Random?
>
> More specifically, to be sure that they are independent and random, should I
> use something like Random[Integer, {0,1}] or can one use *all the bits* of,
> say, Random[Integer, {0,2^32-1}] ... or even something larger.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Mark Diamond
Probably best just to generate random bits using e.g.
randomBits[length_] := Table[Random[Integer], {length}]
This is reasonably fast and will give high quality random sequence. You
might get better speed by generating a bigger number and then extracting
bits, but you then run the risk of having a less "random" sequence.
More information as to what methods are used under what circumstances
may be found at:
http://library.wolfram.com/mathgroup/archive/2000/May/msg00088.html
Among other things it is noted at that link that the method above should
pass all the DIEHARD tests.
Daniel Lichtblau
Wolfram Research
- References:
- Random bits (generation)
- From: "DIAMOND Mark R." <dot@dot.dot>
- Random bits (generation)