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From: hrubin@osupyr.UUCP
Newsgroups: sci.math,sci.physics,sci.crypt,sci.math.stat
Subject: Re: Do you use RANDOM NUMBERS?
Message-ID: <122@osupyr.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 20-Mar-87 16:07:04 EST
Article-I.D.: osupyr.122
Posted: Fri Mar 20 16:07:04 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 22-Mar-87 23:44:00 EST
References: <5712@reed.UUCP> <553@entropy.ms.washington.edu> <5722@reed.UUCP>
Organization: Department of Statistics
Lines: 16
Keywords: Random numbers, leprechauns
Xref: utgpu sci.math:746 sci.physics:945 sci.crypt:255 sci.math.stat:80
Summary: mix random and pseudo-random

There are purposes for which pseudo-random numbers are acceptable; In
these cases quasi-random numbers are even better.  However, no inexpensive
pseudo-random generator has any good independence properties.  What I do
is to use a physically generated set exclusive or-ed with a reasonably good
pseudo-random process, and the physical random numbers are stored on disk
or similar device.  It is rare that I would trust the results of a
calculation using only pseudo-random numbers.
-- 
Herman Rubin
Until mid May:
Department of Statistics, Cockins Hall, 1958 Neil Avenue
Ohio State University, Columbus OH43210
hrubin@osupyr or cbosgd!osu-eddie!osupyr!hrubin or ts0474@ohstvma.bitnet
"Permanent":
Department of Statistics, Purdue University, West Lafayette IN47907
hrubin@l.cc.purdue.edu or ihnp4!pur-ee!stat-l!hrubin or hrubin@purccvm.bitnet