Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site rochester.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!zehntel!tektronix!hplabs!hao!seismo!rochester!sher From: sher@rochester.UUCP (David Sher) Newsgroups: net.math.stat Subject: Re: Need tests for random number generators Message-ID: <5197@rochester.UUCP> Date: Wed, 9-Jan-85 03:00:29 EST Article-I.D.: rocheste.5197 Posted: Wed Jan 9 03:00:29 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 12-Jan-85 01:43:55 EST References: <553@oddjob.UChicago.UUCP> <467@ecsvax.UUCP> Reply-To: sher@rochester.UUCP (David Sher) Organization: U. of Rochester, CS Dept. Lines: 8 Keywords: RANDOM Summary: describes test for random number generator I heard of a test for a random # generator developed at Xerox Park. The way they tested it was to use it to generate the bits controling whether the successive points on a graphics output were black or white (or some variant thereupon). If you could not perceive a pattern by looking at it then your random # generator probably generates fairly "white" noise. (The human eye is probably somewhat better than any easily written computer program at pattern detection). -David Sher