[computer-go] Random

[Don Dailey]

Heikki Levanto wrote:
>> In addition, xor_shift is better than builtin rand() and faster and
>> much smaller than MT.  
>>     
>
> I don't know that much about random numbers, so excuse my ignorance. But a
> bit of googling got me to the Park - Miller Minimal Standard random number
> generator 
>    http://www.firstpr.com.au/dsp/rand31/p1192-park.pdf
>   
That reference goes back to 1988 and what it comes to random number 
generators that is ancient.    Is there a modern analysis of this 
generator anywhere?

- Don



> >From what I read, it should be quite sufficient for go programs. It is
> dead simple and fast:
>
> long int pmrand() {
>     const long int a=16807;
>     const long int m= ( 1 << 31 ) -1;
>     pmrandseed = ( pmrandseed * a ) % m ;
>     return pmrandseed;
> } /* pmrand */
>
>
> Should I worry about this not being good enough? 
>
>   - Heikki
>
>
>
>