Talk:Random number generation

Randomness is an observed entity

The following discussion is closed and will soon be archived.

The article starts out with: "A random number generator (RNG) is a computational or physical device designed to generate a sequence of numbers or symbols that lack any pattern, i.e. appear random." But it should be the other way around: If an Observer find that a sequence lack any pattern, it appears random to him. Different observers may rate the same sequence differently. The randomness is not in the sequence.

Bo Domstedt http://www.trng98.se — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bo at TRNG98 (talk • contribs)

• A much better definition is in place. --Dimawik (talk) 00:49, 19 December 2025 (UTC)

Random number generation input through analogue computer filtering as an attractor which shapes the range of the output*

write about it please

Computational methods?

The section on computational methods needs to be rewritten - or replaced by an {{excerpt}} of the Pseudorandom number generation. There are multiple solid ways to design a DRBG (which is essentially what is described in the section) with output being statistically indistinguishable from a true random sequence. Most methods described in this section are very primitive, the reason for their use is either historical or practical - or they are not actually used - so the statements that true random numbers are superior (without explaining what "are not as random as numbers generated from electromagnetic atmospheric noise" can actually mean) are misplaced. All this was kind of supported by the non-RS (or links to texts that contained no such statements) that I have removed. Dimawik (talk) 18:41, 24 October 2025 (UTC)

No objections for more than a month, implementing. Dimawik (talk) 00:03, 19 December 2025 (UTC)

While at it, applied the same approach to the "Physical methods" section. Dimawik (talk) 00:32, 19 December 2025 (UTC)

Online random number generators

My suggestion is to remove all URLs pointing to the particular implementation of RNG available online as a service or as a source code, unless they are special. The reason is simple: there are literally thousands of them, and we should not in business of endorsing particular ones. The "special ones" IMHO are:

• RANDOM.ORG (well known due to domain name)
• Randomness Beacon at NIST? (due to association with NIST)

Pinging @Kvng:. Dimawik (talk) 21:49, 26 March 2026 (UTC)

@Dimawik, I'm curious how you know there are thousands. ~Kvng (talk) 23:21, 26 March 2026 (UTC)

I have counted to 330 on GitHub. I would expect the total number to be in low thousands, but there is no way for me to know for sure or to prove my estimate. For the purposes of moving this thread along, I am ready to replace "thousands" by "hundreds". Dimawik (talk) 23:46, 26 March 2026 (UTC)