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Re: Article of Melissa O'Nail

From Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com>
Newsgroups comp.lang.c
Subject Re: Article of Melissa O'Nail
Date 2026-01-05 14:21 +0200
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <20260105142144.000074ac@yahoo.com> (permalink)
References (8 earlier) <10iga40$11ds6$1@paganini.bofh.team> <20251224121211.00000e8f@yahoo.com> <20251228024431.00000016@yahoo.com> <10iqfpd$2g8io$1@paganini.bofh.team> <20251228123533.000062a2@yahoo.com>

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I experimented a bit more (in fact, more like a lot more) with
test batteries of L’Ecuyer. It led me to conclusion that occasional
failure in the either middle or big battery means nothing. 
Sometimes even cripto-quality PRNG does not pass one or another test.
Then you try to reproduce it and see that with any other seed that you
try a failure does not happen.
All in all, it makes me more suspect of PRNGs that consistently pass
both batteries with various seed. I start to see it as a sign of
PRNG being rigged to pass tests.

Said above does not apply to scomp_LinearComp() failures of mt19937.
Those failures are very consistent. I just don't consider them
significant for my own use of PRNGs or for any other uses of PRNG that
I personally ever encountered.

Overall an experience strengthened my position that general wisdom,
previously shared by O'Neil herself, got it right: in absence of the
special considerations people should select mt19937 and especially
mt19937-64 as their default PRNGs of choice.
Looking closer, apart from its properties of randomness and apart from
huge period (which does not matter for me) I started to appreciate for
mt19937 for the following properties that I was not aware before:
- it does not use multiplier. So good fit for embedded systems that
  have no (or very slow) multiplier HW.
- algorithm is very SIMD-friendly, so optimized implementations can be
  very very fast on modern x86 and ARM64 hardware.
The latter property also means that very fast FPGA implementation is
easily possible as long as designer is willing to through at it
moderate amount of logic resources.

Said above does not mean that PCG generators of O'Neil have no place.
Intuitively, they appear not bad. But the theory is unproven, optimized
implementation is likely slower that optimized mt19937, claimed
"security" advantages are nonsense as admitted later by O'Neil herself.
And, as said above, I no longer trust her empirical methodology, based
on work of L’Ecuyer. 
So, PCG generators are valuable addition to the toolbox, but not good
enough to change my default.

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srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-22 08:48 +0000
  Re: srand(0) James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2025-12-22 06:44 -0500
    Re: srand(0) Janis Papanagnou <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> - 2025-12-22 13:18 +0100
      Re: srand(0) James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2025-12-22 12:13 -0500
        Re: srand(0) Janis Papanagnou <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> - 2025-12-22 18:41 +0100
          Re: srand(0) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2025-12-22 20:45 +0200
            Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-12-22 21:16 +0000
            Re: srand(0) Janis Papanagnou <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> - 2025-12-22 22:19 +0100
            Re: srand(0) Janis Papanagnou <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> - 2025-12-22 22:57 +0100
              Re: srand(0) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2025-12-23 11:18 +0200
                Re: srand(0) Janis Papanagnou <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> - 2025-12-23 10:54 +0100
                Re: srand(0) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2025-12-23 13:50 +0200
                Re: srand(0) James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2025-12-23 18:29 -0500
                Re: srand(0) Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2025-12-23 16:30 -0800
            Re: srand(0) antispam@fricas.org (Waldek Hebisch) - 2025-12-23 17:54 +0000
              Re: srand(0) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2025-12-24 00:08 +0200
                Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-12-24 02:02 +0000
                Re: srand(0) James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2025-12-23 23:43 -0500
                Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-12-24 05:34 +0000
                Re: srand(0) antispam@fricas.org (Waldek Hebisch) - 2025-12-24 09:00 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2025-12-24 12:12 +0200
                Article of Melissa O'Nail (Was: srand(0)) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2025-12-28 02:44 +0200
                Re: Article of Melissa O'Nail antispam@fricas.org (Waldek Hebisch) - 2025-12-28 05:38 +0000
                Re: Article of Melissa O'Nail Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2025-12-28 12:35 +0200
                Re: Article of Melissa O'Nail Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-01-05 14:21 +0200
                Re: Article of Melissa O'Nail antispam@fricas.org (Waldek Hebisch) - 2026-01-07 10:51 +0000
                Re: Article of Melissa O'Nail Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-01-08 14:03 +0200
                Re: Article of Melissa O'Nail Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2026-01-08 09:40 -0800
                Re: srand(0) Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2026-01-08 09:26 -0800
                Re: srand(0) "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2025-12-24 13:48 -0800
                Re: srand(0) Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2026-01-07 08:41 -0800
                Re: srand(0) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-01-08 01:06 +0200
                Re: srand(0) Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2026-02-03 05:26 -0800
                Re: srand(0) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-02-03 16:37 +0200
                Re: srand(0) Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2026-02-17 23:47 -0800
                Re: srand(0) Tristan Wibberley <tristan.wibberley+netnews2@alumni.manchester.ac.uk> - 2026-02-18 11:21 +0000
                Re: srand(0) David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2026-02-19 10:01 +0100
                Re: srand(0) James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2026-02-19 14:33 -0500
                Re: srand(0) David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2026-02-19 20:47 +0100
                Re: srand(0) James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2026-02-20 16:01 -0500
                Re: srand(0) David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2026-02-21 11:09 +0100
                Re: srand(0) Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2026-02-19 14:39 -0800
                Re: srand(0) David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2026-02-20 09:16 +0100
                Re: srand(0) Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2026-02-23 08:32 -0500
                Re: srand(0) David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2026-02-23 16:05 +0100
                Re: srand(0) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-02-23 19:59 +0200
                Re: srand(0) David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2026-02-23 20:06 +0100
                Re: srand(0) Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2026-02-23 15:24 -0500
                Re: srand(0) Axel Reichert <mail@axel-reichert.de> - 2026-02-24 07:08 +0100
                Re: srand(0) David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2026-02-24 10:24 +0100
                Re: srand(0) Axel Reichert <mail@axel-reichert.de> - 2026-02-26 19:13 +0100
              Re: srand(0) BGB <cr88192@gmail.com> - 2025-12-24 05:22 -0600
                Re: srand(0) BGB <cr88192@gmail.com> - 2025-12-24 23:09 -0600
                Re: srand(0) Janis Papanagnou <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> - 2025-12-25 09:51 +0100
                Re: srand(0) BGB <cr88192@gmail.com> - 2025-12-25 04:24 -0600
              Re: srand(0) Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2026-01-07 07:50 -0800
            Re: srand(0) Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2026-01-07 07:46 -0800
              Re: srand(0) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-01-07 18:14 +0200
          Re: srand(0) Kaz Kylheku <046-301-5902@kylheku.com> - 2025-12-22 19:16 +0000
            Re: srand(0) Janis Papanagnou <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> - 2025-12-22 22:35 +0100
      Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-23 07:24 +0000
        Re: srand(0) Janis Papanagnou <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> - 2025-12-23 09:59 +0100
          Re: srand(0) Michael Bäuerle <michael.baeuerle@stz-e.de> - 2025-12-23 11:09 +0100
            Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-23 14:49 +0000
          Re: srand(0) scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2025-12-23 16:13 +0000
            Re: srand(0) richard@cogsci.ed.ac.uk (Richard Tobin) - 2025-12-23 19:05 +0000
        Re: srand(0) Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2025-12-23 02:16 -0800
          Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-23 14:47 +0000
        Re: srand(0) scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2025-12-23 16:08 +0000
          Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-24 15:44 +0000
    Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-23 07:17 +0000
      Re: srand(0) David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2025-12-23 08:25 +0100
        Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-23 14:45 +0000
          Re: srand(0) David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2025-12-23 19:15 +0100
  Re: srand(0) John McCue <jmclnx@gmail.com.invalid> - 2025-12-23 00:39 +0000
    Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-12-23 02:17 +0000
      Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-23 14:55 +0000
        Re: srand(0) BGB <cr88192@gmail.com> - 2025-12-24 23:35 -0600
          Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-26 08:23 +0000
            Re: srand(0) BGB <cr88192@gmail.com> - 2025-12-26 14:48 -0600
              Re: srand(0) BGB <cr88192@gmail.com> - 2025-12-26 15:12 -0600
    Re: srand(0) Ike Naar <ike@sdf.org> - 2025-12-23 06:49 +0000
      Re: srand(0) John McCue <jmclnx@gmail.com.invalid> - 2025-12-23 20:37 +0000
        Re: srand(0) Ike Naar <ike@sdf.org> - 2025-12-24 15:22 +0000
    Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-23 07:25 +0000
      Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-12-24 06:16 +0000
        Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-24 15:21 +0000
          Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-12-24 19:00 +0000
            Re: srand(0) BGB <cr88192@gmail.com> - 2025-12-25 03:07 -0600
              Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-12-25 19:31 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Janis Papanagnou <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> - 2025-12-25 21:14 +0100
                Re: srand(0) BGB <cr88192@gmail.com> - 2025-12-25 15:29 -0600
                Re: srand(0) Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2025-12-25 23:25 -0500
                Re: srand(0) BGB <cr88192@gmail.com> - 2025-12-25 23:41 -0600
                Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-12-26 05:42 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2025-12-26 01:52 -0500
                Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-12-26 07:56 +0000
                Re: srand(0) BGB <cr88192@gmail.com> - 2025-12-26 04:48 -0600
      Re: srand(0) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2025-12-24 10:51 +0200
        Re: srand(0) "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2025-12-24 00:59 -0800
        Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-24 15:28 +0000
          Re: srand(0) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2025-12-24 17:44 +0200
            Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-24 16:17 +0000
              Re: srand(0) Janis Papanagnou <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> - 2025-12-24 17:53 +0100
                Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-24 17:27 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-24 17:33 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2025-12-24 20:16 +0200
                Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-25 02:01 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-12-25 03:17 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-26 08:13 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-25 04:30 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Janis Papanagnou <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> - 2025-12-25 09:10 +0100
                Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-26 08:08 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-30 06:07 +0000
                Re: srand(0) scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2025-12-30 18:42 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-31 02:01 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-12-31 03:10 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-31 03:28 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-12-31 09:37 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2026-01-01 07:32 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-01 19:02 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2026-01-01 19:20 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-01-01 21:53 +0200
                Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-01 23:50 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-01-02 14:32 +0200
                Re: srand(0) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-01-02 16:18 +0200
                Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-02 20:52 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-02 20:46 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Mike Terry <news.dead.person.stones@darjeeling.plus.com> - 2026-01-03 04:08 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-03 04:39 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2026-01-03 14:24 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-01-03 20:38 +0200
                Re: srand(0) Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2025-12-30 19:37 -0800
                Re: srand(0) scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2025-12-31 17:24 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2025-12-31 15:17 -0800
                Re: srand(0) Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2025-12-31 12:30 -0500
                Re: srand(0) bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2025-12-31 18:42 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2025-12-31 15:07 -0500
                Re: srand(0) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2025-12-31 22:18 +0200
                Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-12-31 20:55 +0000
                Re: srand(0) bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2025-12-31 22:57 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2025-12-31 16:00 -0800
                Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-01 01:03 +0000
                Re: srand(0) bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2026-01-01 14:05 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-01 19:03 +0000
                Re: srand(0) bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2026-01-01 20:28 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2025-12-31 15:29 -0800
                Re: srand(0) highcrew <high.crew3868@fastmail.com> - 2026-01-01 00:31 +0100
                Re: srand(0) Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2025-12-31 16:05 -0800
                Re: srand(0) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2025-12-31 15:29 +0200
                Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-12-31 20:52 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2025-12-31 15:14 -0800
                Re: srand(0) Geoff <geoff@invalid.invalid> - 2026-01-05 20:00 -0800
                Re: srand(0) Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2025-12-31 15:03 -0800
                Re: srand(0) Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2025-12-30 19:35 -0800
                Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-31 04:51 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2025-12-31 15:15 +0200
                Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-12-31 20:51 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2025-12-31 15:00 -0800
                Re: srand(0) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-01-01 01:45 +0200
                Re: srand(0) Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2025-12-31 16:34 -0800
                Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2026-01-01 07:23 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Mike Terry <news.dead.person.stones@darjeeling.plus.com> - 2026-01-01 02:01 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-01-01 02:29 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-12-30 06:34 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-30 14:05 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-28 05:51 +0000
            Re: srand(0) scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2025-12-24 17:08 +0000
    Re: srand(0) Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2026-01-07 07:39 -0800
      Re: srand(0) Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2026-01-07 13:54 -0800
        Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2026-01-08 15:34 +0000
          Re: srand(0) Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2026-01-08 14:44 -0800
            Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2026-01-09 06:06 +0000
              Re: srand(0) Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2026-01-08 22:46 -0800
                Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2026-01-09 22:38 +0000
                Re: srand(0) scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2026-01-09 23:27 +0000
                Re: srand(0) Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2026-01-09 17:09 -0800
                Re: srand(0) Kaz Kylheku <046-301-5902@kylheku.com> - 2026-01-10 19:44 +0000
        Re: srand(0) Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2026-01-09 00:36 -0800
  Re: srand(0) Bonita Montero <Bonita.Montero@gmail.com> - 2025-12-23 11:04 +0100
  Re: srand(0) "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2025-12-23 21:44 -0800
    Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-24 15:41 +0000
      Re: srand(0) Janis Papanagnou <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> - 2025-12-24 18:04 +0100
        Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2025-12-25 05:41 +0000
  Re: srand(0) Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> - 2026-01-08 02:57 +0000

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