[LC++]Random numbers

[Yosi]

Hi,

While on the topic of random numbers, can anyone on the list recommend
a platofrm-independent implementation of a PRNG (pseudo random
generator), preferably in C++, but one in C will just as good. I'm more
interested in having an implementation that works on UNIX/Windows/Novell
and care less if it implemented in C or C++.

Sincerely,
Yosi

>From: Mark Phillips <mark at austrics.com.au>
>Reply-To: tuxcpprogramming at lists.linux.org.au
>To: Linux C++ Programming List <tuxcpprogramming at lists.linux.org.au>
>Subject: [LC++]Random numbers
>Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 17:23:26 +0930
>
>Hi,
>
>Doing "man 3 rand" on a linux system gives the following information
>about random number generation:
>
>        The  versions of rand() and srand() in the Linux C Library
>        use the same  random  number  generator  as  random()  and
>        srandom(),  so the lower-order bits should be as random as
>        the  higher-order  bits.    However,   on   older   rand()
>        implementations, the lower-order bits are much less random
>        than the higher-order bits.
>
>        In Numerical Recipes in C: The Art of Scientific Computing
>        (William  H.  Press, Brian P. Flannery, Saul A. Teukolsky,
>        William T.  Vetterling;  New  York:  Cambridge  University
>        Press, 1992 (2nd ed., p. 277)), the following comments are
>        made:
>               "If you want to generate a random integer between 1
>               and 10, you should always do it by using high-order
>               bits, as in
>
>                      j=1+(int) (10.0*rand()/(RAND_MAX+1.0));
>
>               and never by anything resembling
>
>                      j=1+(rand() % 10);
>
>               (which uses lower-order bits)."
>
>Is the comment from Numerical Recipes in C based on older versions
>of rand()?  Ie is it that the first method above (of generating
>a number between 1 and 10) used to be preferable to the second
>method, but now with improved random number generators, the
>second method is just as good --- (and quicker!)??
>
>Thanks,
>
>Mark.


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