(Pi) is a pretty
good random number generator
27 April 2005
by Richard
Conan-Davies
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Purdue University
mathematicians have shown that digits in the
constant pi Ephraim Fischbach of Purdue Univeristy who led the computer analysis of the first 100 millions places of pi compared it with other random number generators and explained that "Our work showed no correlations or patterns in pi's number set , in short, pi is indeed a good source of randomness," "However, there were times when pi's performance was outdone by the RNGs." So how can you use pi as RNG if it is always the same number? Fischbach told ClearlyExplained.Com News that " One can also randomly skip around in the digits to create other random sequences from pi" he further explained that " one can create new random sequences as we did by combining the random digits of pi with the random digits produced by some other algorithm". Fischbach hopes to have others use his program for analysing the randomness of pi to see if it can get a better grade than a B in how random it can get. |
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( 3.1415...) score a
rating of a 'B' when compared with commercially
available random number generators (RNG). But often
pi was much better than some random number
generators available.Related Links
Original News release from Purdue Univeristy
Nature &
Science News
ClearlyExplained.com