Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer??

From	kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey)
Newsgroups	comp.misc
Subject	Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer??
Date	2025-03-30 09:11 -0400
Organization	Former users of Netcom shell (1989-2000)
Message-ID	<vsbfuj$qmo$1@panix2.panix.com> (permalink)
References	<vs73jc$3jepm$1@dont-email.me> <67e882b4@news.ausics.net> <wwvcydy7rlu.fsf@LkoBDZeT.terraraq.uk> <wwv4iza7qxo.fsf@LkoBDZeT.terraraq.uk>

Show all headers | View raw

Richard Kettlewell  <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> writes:
>> Exactly! All the stuff about lava lamps, helium motion inside hard
>> disks, etc is just gimmicks. Real random numbers are tiny electronic
>                                                 ^generators
>> components built into CPUs, HSMs, etc.
>
>Strictly I should probably say “entropy sources”, since there’s
>generally a DRBG between the electronics and the application, as well.

The problem with those genuine random number generators is that they are
usually comparatively slow.  They take milliseconds to spit out a number,
sometimes tens or even hundreds of them.  So we use the genuine RNG to
seed a PNG in situations where we don't need complete randomness but need
pretty good randomness and need a lot of it fast.  Knuth has a discussion 
of this.
--scott
-- 
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Back to comp.misc | Previous | Next — Previous in thread | Next in thread | Find similar

Thread

Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-03-28 21:16 +0000
  Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-03-28 23:10 +0000
    Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> - 2025-03-29 11:50 +0000
      Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2025-03-29 15:05 +0000
        Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) - 2025-03-29 12:58 -0400
        Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> - 2025-03-29 18:38 -0300
          Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-03-29 22:08 +0000
            Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> - 2025-03-30 04:37 -0300
        Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? not@telling.you.invalid (Computer Nerd Kev) - 2025-03-30 09:31 +1000
          Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2025-03-30 11:14 +0100
            Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2025-03-30 11:28 +0100
              Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) - 2025-03-30 09:11 -0400
                Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Toaster <toaster@dne3.net> - 2025-04-04 20:16 -0400
                Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) - 2025-04-04 20:56 -0400
                Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-04-05 02:13 +0000
                Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-05 09:08 +0100
          Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-03-30 21:18 +0000
            Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? not@telling.you.invalid (Computer Nerd Kev) - 2025-03-31 08:15 +1000
              Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-03-31 01:30 +0000
      Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-03-29 22:09 +0000
        Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> - 2025-03-29 22:39 +0000
          Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-03-31 01:29 +0000
    Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Ethan Carter <ec1828@gmail.com> - 2025-03-29 20:25 -0300
      Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-03-30 04:58 +0000
        Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Ethan Carter <ec1828@gmail.com> - 2025-03-30 11:19 -0300
          Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-03-31 01:32 +0000
            Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Ethan Carter <ec1828@somewhere.edu> - 2025-04-01 10:25 -0300
              Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-04-04 19:05 +0000
          Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-03-31 01:34 +0000
            Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Ethan Carter <ec1828@somewhere.edu> - 2025-04-01 10:31 -0300
              Re: Truly Random Numbers On A Quantum Computer?? Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-04-04 19:05 +0000

csiph-web