From: gnu@cygnus.com
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 92 23:52:29 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Random number generators
In-Reply-To: <199212310057.AA02517@eff.org>
Message-ID: <9212310751.AA21888@cygnus.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


>                       MONTE CARLO TECHNIQUES,
> widely used in computer simulations of physical systems, entail the
> wholesale generation of random numbers.  A new study by scientists at
> the University of Georgia (Alan Ferrenberg, 404-542-8460) shows that
> even the most advanced random-number generators are biased under
> certain circumstances (A.M. Ferrenberg et al., 7 Dec. Physical Review
> Letters).  Using one state-of-the-art program, the Marsaglia-Zeman
> random-number generator, Ferrenberg discovered that a simulated
> performance of the two-dimensional Ising model (which models the
> behavior of a plane of neighboring spins) did not agree with the
> results when calculated exactly by mathematical methods.  He traced the
> discrepancy to the random- number generator.  Other generators tried
> had differing faults.
> (Science News, 19 & 26 Dec.)

Can someone get the paper(s) and/or talk to the researcher?  Does he
have any programs he can throw into the pot for generating or testing
random numbers?

	John