From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
To: Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
Cc: Stromeko@nexgo.de, rms@gnu.org, emacs-devel@gnu.org
Subject: Re: random doesn't feel very random
Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2012 12:41:26 +0300 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <83k3wfqtyx.fsf@gnu.org> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <jwvr4qtkkpr.fsf-monnier+emacs@gnu.org>
> From: Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
> Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2012 00:48:47 -0400
> Cc: Achim Gratz <Stromeko@nexgo.de>, emacs-devel@gnu.org
>
> > It is a feature that, if you don't call (random t), `random' returns
> > a predictable sequence. That is good for debugging.
>
> I wonder how often this has been useful.
??? A pseudo-random sequence is always deterministic, that's what the
"pseudo" part is about. I'm sure you already know that.
> Since most/any package that uses `random' will want the sequence to
> be unpredictable
??? A pseudo-random sequence looks and feels as an unpredictable one.
Moreover, you cannot have a non-predictable sequence out of a PRNG at
all. I'm sure you already know that.
> many packages call (random t) at various times
Those packages have a bug that needs to be fixed.
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2012-08-31 9:41 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 43+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2012-08-24 5:47 random doesn't feel very random Ivan Kanis
2012-08-24 6:22 ` Tassilo Horn
2012-08-24 17:19 ` random doesn't feel very random, random doesn't feel very random, " Ivan Kanis
2012-08-24 18:50 ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2012-08-25 7:46 ` Ivan Kanis
2012-08-24 6:30 ` Leo
2012-08-24 22:48 ` Richard Stallman
2012-08-24 22:57 ` Andreas Schwab
2012-08-25 20:55 ` Richard Stallman
2012-08-25 23:25 ` Leo
2012-08-26 13:12 ` Richard Stallman
2012-08-26 14:24 ` Achim Gratz
2012-08-26 23:22 ` Leo
2012-08-27 0:50 ` Stefan Monnier
2012-08-27 6:31 ` Simon Leinen
2012-08-27 3:41 ` Richard Stallman
2012-08-27 4:48 ` Stefan Monnier
2012-08-31 9:41 ` Eli Zaretskii [this message]
2012-08-31 15:06 ` Stefan Monnier
2012-08-31 15:23 ` chad
2012-08-31 17:50 ` Eli Zaretskii
2012-08-31 19:43 ` Stefan Monnier
2012-09-01 1:18 ` Paul Eggert
2012-09-01 7:19 ` Achim Gratz
2012-09-01 13:19 ` Paul Eggert
2012-09-04 19:19 ` Nix
2012-09-04 20:07 ` Paul Eggert
2012-09-04 20:11 ` Nix
2012-09-02 12:27 ` Jason Rumney
2012-09-02 13:08 ` Stefan Monnier
2012-09-01 7:22 ` Ivan Kanis
2012-09-01 11:13 ` joakim
2012-08-31 23:04 ` Leo
2012-08-27 5:17 ` Achim Gratz
2012-08-31 9:42 ` Eli Zaretskii
2012-08-31 15:07 ` Stefan Monnier
2012-08-31 17:50 ` Eli Zaretskii
2012-08-26 9:06 ` Ivan Kanis
2012-08-24 7:03 ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2012-08-24 9:10 ` Paul Eggert
2012-08-24 17:45 ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2012-08-24 12:45 ` OT: appropriateness of "random" for playlist generation (was: random doesn't feel very random) Jeremiah Dodds
2012-08-24 14:37 ` random doesn't feel very random Drew Adams
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