Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!indri!larry!jwp
From: jwp@larry.UUCP (Jeffrey W Percival)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: How do I get random #s?
Message-ID: <514@larry.UUCP>
Date: 12 Feb 89 20:38:41 GMT
References: <19415@dhw68k.cts.com> <225800121@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu>
Reply-To: jwp@larry.UUCP (Jeffrey W Percival)
Organization: University of Wisconsin Space Astronomy Lab
Lines: 22

>I think it is.  If you really need extremely good random deviates
>then you have a lot of research and hard work to do.

Why is this true?  No one tells me that if I want a *really* good C
compiler, I have a lot of work to do, or if I want a *really* good
operating system, I have a lot of work to do.

The way I see it, a bizillion people work very hard, and as a result,
I have on my desk a VAX with a *great* operating system, plenty of
disk, a hundred megabytes of secondary storage, a nice programming
language, a fast, efficient compiler, but when it comes to decent
random numbers, the user sees a big "go jump in a lake".

Now, I understand that the poster of the lead statement above was NOT
saying that, he was referring to the fact that this is a tough
problem.  Understood.  But, as far as *I* am concerned, so is designing
a chip, or a language.  They are *all* tough problems, but they are
solved by experts for consumers.  Random numbers in computers are not a
new need, or a minor need.  Why, you computer industry out there, have
you left one big turd in the middle of a *great* superhighway?
-- 
Jeff Percival (jwp@larry.sal.wisc.edu)