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Comment on xkcd #221: Random Number (9 Nov 2007)

captainjaneway@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

I generate a random number and then use that number as a seed. I then generate a random number. Then I use that number as a seed. I then generate a random number. I divide that number by a random prime number picked in a similar fashion. I take the last n-digits of the remainder and that’s the random number I give to a user.

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Trabic@lemm.ee [bot] ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Was it 4?

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- captainjaneway@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  maybe
  
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  - Crashumbc@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    42
    
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Spzi@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
That’s already pretty cool! It surely does generate very random numbers. I still think you can take it a step – or a random number of steps, hah! – further by repeating the process a random number of times! Maybe this way we can reach maximum randomness. Probably need to reroll the number until it’s big enough for that.

I would also check if the result is 4. If it’s 4, it should be discarded. 4 is not an actual random number but a joke random number from a comic.

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