Re: Generating Random Numbers with Normal Distribution

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

 



On 12/12/2007, Daniel Brown <parasane@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> On Dec 12, 2007 9:00 AM, tedd <tedd.sperling@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > At 3:04 PM -0500 12/10/07, Daniel Brown wrote:
> > >     Unfortunately, because computers are logical, there's no such
> > >thing (at least as of yet) as a truly random number being generated by
> > >a machine.
>
> > Unless the computer is tied to a peripheral that samples nature.
>
>     In which case the random number is not being generated by the
> computer, but rather derived from data interpreted from nature.

Can you define for me where the machine stops and nature starts?

I mean, if I make a clock that uses the physical properties of a
pendulum to demarcate units of time then the pendulum is obviously
part of the machine.

But if I make a computer that uses the physical properties of a
radio-isotope to generate random numbers, you seem to be be saying
that the radio-isotope is not part of the machine, but instead part of
nature.

-robin

-- 
PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/)
To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php


[Index of Archives]     [PHP Home]     [Apache Users]     [PHP on Windows]     [Kernel Newbies]     [PHP Install]     [PHP Classes]     [Pear]     [Postgresql]     [Postgresql PHP]     [PHP on Windows]     [PHP Database Programming]     [PHP SOAP]

  Powered by Linux