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Re: problem with RandomInteger

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg112217] Re: problem with RandomInteger
  • From: Peter Pein <petsie at dordos.net>
  • Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2010 05:27:17 -0400 (EDT)
  • References: <i5qhhg$pkm$1@smc.vnet.net>

Am Sat, 4 Sep 2010 08:02:36 +0000 (UTC)
schrieb Albert Retey <awnl at gmx-topmail.de>:
...
> I think this is because Table does compile if it thinks that will
> improve speed. You can change the limit when this will start, e.g.:
> 
> SetSystemOptions["CompileOptions" -> "TableCompileLength" -> 100000];
> 
> now
> 
> N[Total[Table[str1[], {10000}]]]/10000
> 
> will return the expected result. I don't exactly understand why this
> goes wrong when compiling, but I think it is a bug...
> 
> hth,
> 
> albert
> 

Indeed! Using a compiled version of str1[], there is no chance to get
reliable results:

In[1]:= strC = Compile[{}, Module[{l, i, j},
    l = {0, 0, 0};
    i = RandomInteger[{1, 3}];
    l[[i]] = 1;
    j = RandomInteger[{1, 3}];
    l[[j]]], {{i | j, _Integer}, {l, _Integer, 1}}];

In[2]:= N[Total[Table[strC[], {10}]]]/10

Out[2]= 1.

In[3]:= N[Total[Table[strC[], {1000}]]]/1000

Out[3]= 1.

In[4]:= N[Total[ParallelTable[strC[], {1000}]]]/1000

Out[4]= 1.

But this gives the expected result:

In[1]:=
simp=Compile[{{n,_Integer}},Sum[Boole[RandomInteger[{1,3}]===2],{n}]/n//N];
In[2]:= simp/@(10^{1,2,3,4})
Out[2]= {0.3,0.36,0.34,0.3386}

Can anyone from Wolfram Inc. please explain this behaviour?

TIA,
Peter



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