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From: NICK@AI.AI.MIT.EDU (Nick Papadakis)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.digest
Subject: [ayl%hutds.hut.fi%FINGATE.BITNET@MITVMA.MIT.EDU: randomness]
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Date: 2 Jun 88 06:05:00 GMT
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Date: Sun, 29 May 88 09:00 EDT
From: Antti Ylikoski 
To: AIList@AI.AI.MIT.EDU
Subject: randomness
cc: ayl@hutds.hut.fi

In AIList Digest   V7 #4, Barry Kort writes:

>If I wanted to give my von Neumann machine a *true* random number
>generator, I would connect it to an A/D converter driven by thermal
>noise (i.e. a toasty resister).

I recall that a Zener diode is a good source of noise (but cannot remember
the spectrum it gives).

It could be a good idea to utilize a Zener / A-D converter random number
generator in Monte Carlo simulations.

Andy Ylikoski

PS.  A pearl: Orthodox Christianity: Baruch Ha Ba, B'Shem Adonnnnnai