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From: phm@stl.UUCP
Newsgroups: sci.math,sci.crypt,sci.math.stat
Subject: Re: Do you use RANDOM NUMBERS?
Message-ID: <520@u410a.stl.stc.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 19-Mar-87 05:50:24 EST
Article-I.D.: u410a.520
Posted: Thu Mar 19 05:50:24 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 22-Mar-87 20:36:43 EST
References: <5712@reed.UUCP>
Reply-To: phm@stl.UUCP (Peter Mabey)
Organization: STL,Harlow,UK.
Lines: 23
Keywords: Random numbers, history of computing
Xref: utgpu sci.math:740 sci.crypt:254 sci.math.stat:79

In article <5712@reed.UUCP> mdr@reed.UUCP (Mike Rutenberg) writes:
>How do people currently use RANDOM NUMBERS?  Simulations?  Anything else?
>
>How do you generate them?
>
>Do you think your results would benefit from using
>truly random numbers rather than pseudo-random stuff?
>Is it of enough interest to justify some time and effort?
>
 I remember that back in the early '50s, there were machines that had
 an instruction_code which would give you a random number in the
 accumulator, derived from the electronic noise in the valves.  (Not
 tubes - they were British :-) ! )
 As I recall, it wasn't very popular, because the only way to get
 predictable values for debugging was to put in a patch to a routine
 to avoid it, and we didn't have such new-fangled things as assembler
 languages in those days.

-- 

Regards,

Peter Mabey  (phm@stl  ...!mcvax!ukc!stl!phm +44-279-29531 x3596)