From: jamesd@echeque.com
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1996 16:37:11 +0800
To: "Jed Liu" <cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Entropy
Message-ID: <199604230500.WAA23405@dns1.noc.best.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 10:16 AM 4/22/96 EST, Jed Liu wrote:
> I've heard a lot of discussion here about "entropy tests" and "tests 
> for randomness".  Could somebody please explain to me one of these 
> tests (or would that take too long?) ?  Thanks.

You cannot test for entropy, not can you test for randomness.

You can however test for particular kinds of non randomness 
and particular kinds of lack of entropy.

Such tests are only useful if you have an adequately understood
source of entropy.

Each such test is only appropriate for particular sources of
entropy.
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