Re: Random Number Generator

[booth@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

What happens though if you also retrieve today's Lillian date and do something with that and with time?  there would be uniqueness then wouldn't there?
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Booth Martin, 802-454-8315 x235
Goddard College Information Services
http://www.Goddard.edu
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"alan shore" <SHOREA@dime.com> Sent by: owner-midrange-l@midrange.com 08/08/01 08:37 AM Please respond to MIDRANGE-L

To:        <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>         cc:                 Subject:        Re: Random Number Generator

Point taken, but a random number generator should NOT give the same result given the same initial data. You wouldn't believe what an incredible amount of money has been spent in attempting to create such a piece of software. This type of logic was first thought of by the British government decades ago, but was scrapped when they realized how limited it was. 

>>> "Leif Svalgaard" <leif@leif.org> 08/07/01 05:06PM >>>
From: alan shore <SHOREA@dime.com>

> Surely, this cannot be a random number generator, as the same number will
be  generated at the same time of day.

as there are only 10000 possible 4-digit PINs, so what?
If you assign 30000 PINs a day you cycle through every
number three times already. If you don't do that many
PINs, but say only 100, then the chance that you will
the same number is small.



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