Re: x === x

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From	Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.javascript
Subject	Re: x === x
Date	Thu, 01 Jun 2017 14:44:51 +0100
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Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> writes:

> Ben Bacarisse wrote:
>
>> Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> writes:
>>> Stefan Ram wrote:
>>>> Dr J R Stockton <J.R.Stockton@physics.org> writes:
>>>>>An ordinary computer design provides no source of true randomness,
>>>>   What is "true randomness"?
>>> Uniform distribution of results independent of a start value (seed).
>> 
>> A very simple function can generate numbers with a uniform distribution
>> that is independent of any seed.  For example, a function producing
>> 1, 1, 1... meets that definition.  If you want some variation, so does,
>> 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3...
>
> Apparently you missed the important word “random” here.

It does not appear in the definition you offered.  If it had done (for
example if you had offered "uniform distribution of random results
independent of a start value") then the definition would have been
partly circular -- leaving "random" to be defined.

>> I don't know of an uncontroversial and universally agreed-upon definition,
>> so I won't try to offer one.
>
> One thing is clear, though: patterns are the opposite of randomness.

Yes.  This is why you need more than simply a uniform distribution and
independence from any seed.

-- 
Ben.

Thread

Re: x === x Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2017-05-30 16:21 +0200
  Re: x === x John G Harris <niam@jghnorth.org.uk.invalid> - 2017-05-30 19:16 +0100
  Re: x === x Dr J R Stockton <J.R.Stockton@physics.org> - 2017-05-31 08:39 -0700
    Re: x === x Stefan Weiss <krewecherl@gmail.com> - 2017-05-31 18:08 +0200
      Re: x === x Dr J R Stockton <reply1700@merlyn.demon.co.uk.invalid> - 2017-06-02 22:27 +0100
    Re: x === x Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2017-05-31 21:03 +0200
      Re: x === x Dr J R Stockton <reply1700@merlyn.demon.co.uk.invalid> - 2017-06-02 22:12 +0100
    Re: x === x Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2017-05-31 21:09 +0200
      Re: x === x Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2017-06-01 01:58 +0100
        Re: x === x Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2017-06-01 05:01 +0200
          Re: x === x Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2017-06-01 14:44 +0100
          Re: x === x Dr J R Stockton <reply1700@merlyn.demon.co.uk.invalid> - 2017-06-02 21:15 +0100
        Re: x === x Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2017-06-01 14:17 +0100
    Re: x === x Julio Di Egidio <julio@diegidio.name> - 2017-06-01 00:10 -0700
      Re: x === x Dr J R Stockton <reply1700@merlyn.demon.co.uk.invalid> - 2017-06-02 22:16 +0100

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