[computer-go] [OT] All-integer scalable distribution algorithm.

[Mike Hill]

Folks...

First, let me say how much pleasure my reading of this list has given 
me.  I love that folks are out there cranking on this problem.  Truly, 
it's one of the great problems.

I have a rather strange request.  I am a statistical idiot, in both 
senses of 'statistical'.  After scrolling through a half-dozen stat 
tutorials online, I find myself completely unable to grasp how I'd get 
the effect I want even if I wanted to use floats, which I don't.  As you 
will soon be aware, I don't even have the language to figure out how to 
describe my problem.  Seeing as how there are so many MC algorithm 
workers on the list, I thought I'd turn to you for some guidance.

The essence of my idea is that I want a psuedo-random algorithm which 
takes as a parameter a 'degree-of-randomness' value.  Something along 
these lines:

int choose( int range, int degree-of-randomness)

Returns an integer in [0-range] distributed depending on the value of 
degree-of-randomness.  At degree-of-randomness 100, I want the 
distribution to be uniform.  At degree-of-randomness 0, I want the 
distribution to be  -- I don't even know what to call this -- 
half-of-a-normal-distribution  with the steepness proportionately 
related to degree-of-randomness.

Am I making *any* sense?  If so, you may need some sort of psychiatric 
help, or alternatively, you could do me the favor of explaining how to 
ask for what I want or even how to actually get it.  :)

Cheers, and thanks,
Hill