random number algorithm

**judhkqkhsd** · 06-21-2005

im having trouble finding any concrete random number algorithms on the web. does anyone have any links or even books to refer me?

ive tried the library as well but i cant seem to find anything...

**Giro** · 06-21-2005

Maybe this Google search might help? Also maybe you can use what the host OS has to offer?

**robotics56a** · 06-21-2005

are you trying to find one, or make one?

**Morgoth** · 06-21-2005

There is no such bloody thing as a random number, but how about the Mersenne Twister?

**robotics56a** · 06-21-2005

Originally Posted by Morgoth

There is no such bloody thing as a random number, but how about the Mersenne Twister?

what about a coin, die, spinner?

**judhkqkhsd** · 06-21-2005

i am using CAD for VLSI and I need a random number generator in my design. The tools and the board that I am using do not include any random number generators and so i need to make one myself. I was looking on the web for some algorithms but have had trouble finding sites that properly explain themselves.

and morgoth, there may not be random numbers but as long as the numbers are equally distributed after simulation then I will be happy.

Once I find an algorithm that I can understand then I will attempt to implement it on the board and simulate.

thanks

**Morgoth** · 06-22-2005

@judhkqkhsd, have you looked at: Mersenne Twister

what about a coin, die, spinner? Smile

Since the coin follows the laws of nature, the outcome can be predicted with 100% accuracy when all the variables are known, examples of these variables are air density, the distance to the ground, the weight and size of the coin, the used force, the spin, etc.
These variables can never be measured with 100% accuracy though ("the act of observing disturbs the observed", as that very cool Dr Seuss-like rhyme on quantum mechanics went) so we can never predict the exact outcome, and therefor it is only "random" from our flawed point of view.

With computers however, everything is measurable, so everything can be determined with 100% accuracy, and therefor computers can never act randomly (until Bill Gates came along, after that they crashed randomly

)

**nortis** · 06-22-2005

The maths involved in random number gerneration is rather involved. Would in not be possible for you to use another program (c++, matlab/octave ...) to generate the random numbers and then read them from a text file in your application?

**judhkqkhsd** · 06-22-2005

i had thought of that but the number generator needs to be apart of the design (using the same data from the text file is not sufficient).

I guess i'll just keep looking.

**robotics56a** · 06-22-2005

just to be sure, you are trying to write a piece of code for a persudo-random number generator? or are you trying to make a piece of hardware that does this?

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