Random Numbers
Jonathan B. Wolf (a540jbw@pic.ucla.edu)
Mon, 20 Nov 95 12:17:44 -0800
It's better to start be addressing the second question first: Is there such a
thing as a truly random number? I don't think so because the word random
implies that no human effort is involved. The number just falls from the sky
or something. I looked up the definition of "random" and included in one
definition is "by accident rather than design." It seems to me that if any
human input is allowed, then the number is not truly random, because it is by
design. Myron Chew posted a method for finding a random number which includes
human input of some kind. But I believe that this now invalidates its
randomness. Any thoughts?
Jon
By the way, I looked up the word "random" online at
Webster's Dictionary
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