True randomness

Friday, September 5th, 2008 | Code

Ok…how random is randomize() ?

What’s to make a computer generate a random number? Well we’ve got the physical way and the math way.

1. Physical (True random).  Implement a hash function on to an unpredictable video frame… have a camera pointed at the sky, a lava lamp , listening to atmospheric noise

2. Mathematical. (Pseudeo random). Recurrencial http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_congruential_generator or variations…using the bios time clock as seed.

Anyway if you’re looking for true randomness take a look at www.random.org