[Coco] Is the RND command really generating a random number?

[Mathieu Bouchard]

Old Microsoft BASICs use this :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_congruential_generator

But in particular, they use a particularly low quality version of it. (see what 
I say about QuickBASIC's RND() in the other message I just sent.)


Le 2017-05-19 à 00:47:00, Rietveld Rietveld a écrit :

> I am not sure how the command itself generates the 'random' number?
> 
> Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
>  Original Message
> From: Dave Philipsen
> Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2017 8:44 PM
> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts
> Reply To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts
> Subject: Re: [Coco] Is the RND command really generating a random number?
> 
> 
> Very few things in the computer world are truly random.  A better term
> might be 'pseudo-random'.  Think about it.  In theory if you turn on two
> identical CoCos at the same time and ask for a random number at the same
> time they should both provide the same random number.  So, in reality,
> it's not random.
> 
> Dave
> 
> On 5/18/2017 7:39 PM, Rietveld Rietveld wrote:
>> I used the RND command to generate a random game play option in the 
>> cocoflash, but it doesn't seem to be very random. Some titles come up more 
>> than the laws of probability would suggest is possible.   instead I am now 
>> using a small math equation that uses a PEEK of the clock value.   This has 
>> resulted in a far more random looking selection
>> 
>> Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
>> 
> 
> 
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| Mathieu BOUCHARD --- tél: 514.623.3801, 514.383.3801 --- Montréal, QC