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Groups > comp.lang.c > #144560

Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how?

From James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu>
Newsgroups comp.lang.c
Subject Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how?
Date 2019-06-06 22:57 -0400
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <qdcjq6$jda$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References (8 earlier) <9a4ef818-9470-436a-9829-c94e2f0a785d@googlegroups.com> <87lfyi4usz.fsf@bsb.me.uk> <1ac4b5ea-fb71-4691-8dad-fca9cc976dd3@googlegroups.com> <e736450f-cb1e-4061-ae3c-091808102aff@googlegroups.com> <24945ada-c036-4b67-91a3-714f0ff5e5ef@googlegroups.com>

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On Tuesday, June 4, 2019 at 8:20:06 AM UTC-4, Rick C. Hodgin wrote:
> On Monday, June 3, 2019 at 6:40:46 PM UTC-4, James Kuyper wrote:
> > On Monday, June 3, 2019 at 10:32:32 AM UTC-4, Rick C. Hodgin wrote:
> > > Use that function for each angle.  You have three angles to work
> > > with on a sphere, one on the XY plane, one on the XZ plane, and
> > > one on the YZ plane:
> > > 
> > >     double x = get_random_value();
> > >     double y = get_random_value();
> > >     double z = get_random_value();
> > > 
> > > These all exist somewhere between -1.0 and 1.0, and were projected
> > > evenly by choosing an angle around the circle to obtain the coord-
> > > inate to use for each axes.
> > 
> > What you're referring to are not angles - they are conventionally
> > called direction cosines, being equal to the cosine of the
> > corresponding angle. You're onto something by considering them,
> > but the direction cosines are not independent of each other: they
> > have a constraint that x^2+y^2+z^2 == 1.0. For a spherically
> > symmetric distribution of directions, the direction cosine for
> > the x axis, considered on it's own, would have a distribution
> > proportional to sqrt(1-x^2), which x = sin(theta) will produce;
> 
> This is where you lose me.  I don't know enough about what you're
> saying to know what questions to ask here.  Is there a video or
> animated GIF example or something you can point me to so I can
> see what you're talking about?

Here's a simple program to demonstrate the bias present in both of your
suggestions.
Note: drand48() is declared in <stdlib.h> if I compile with
-D_XOPEN_SOURCE. If you don't have access to drand48(), you can replace
it with any other function that returns random floating point numbers
uniformly distributed over the range (0.0, 1.0).

You can choose any values you want for COLS and ROWS. Having ROWS
approximately equal to COLS*4.0/(3.0*PI) makes this approximately a
Behrmann projection, but all that matters is that it be an equal area
projection, and it will be that for any values of COLS and ROWS.

As I recall, you insist on using C90, so you'll have to convert my //
comments into /* */ comments.

===================================================
#include <errno.h>
#include <math.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

#define COLS 360	// longitude resolution: 1 degree
#define ROWS 152	// Approximately COLS*4.0/(3.0*pi): Behrmann projection
const double lonscale = COLS/(2.0*M_PI);
const double latscale = ROWS/2.0;

static void collect_counts(
    double(*func)(void),	// returns value in range (-1.0,1.0)
    const char filename[]	// Name of output file
){
    unsigned char counts[ROWS][COLS] = {0.0};
    long count=0;

    FILE *outfile = fopen(filename, "w");
    if(outfile == NULL)
    {
	fprintf(stderr, "fopen(\"%s\", \"w\") failed.\n", filename);
	return;
    }

    while(1)
    {
	// Generate random vector in cube of length 2 centered at origin
	double x = func();
	double y = func();
	double z = func();

	// Calculate equal-area cylindrical
        // map coordinates
	double lon = atan2(x,y);
	double sinlat = z/sqrt(x*x + y*y + z*z);

	// Determine which bin to increment.
	int col = floor(lonscale*(M_PI + lon));
	int row = floor(latscale*(1.0 + sinlat));

	if(counts[row][col] == 255)
	   break;
        counts[row][col]++;
	count++;
    }

    fwrite(counts, ROWS, COLS, outfile);
    if(ferror(outfile))
    {
	if(errno)
	    perror(filename);
	else
	    fprintf(stderr, "fwrite(\"%s\", \"w\")"
               "failed.\n", filename);
	return;
    }
    if(fclose(outfile))
    {
	fprintf(stderr, "fclose(\"%s\", \"w\")"
             "failed.\n", filename);
	return;
    }
    printf("%s has a total count of:%ld\n",
        filename, count);

    return;
}

static double uniformm1p1(void)
{	// Rick C. Hodgin's first suggestion:
        // uniform in range (-1.0, 1.0)
    return 2.0*drand48()-1.0;
}

static double get_random_value(void)
{	// Rick C. Hodgin's second suggestion
    double theta = 2.0*M_PI*drand48();
    return sin(theta);
}

int main(void)
{
    collect_counts(uniformm1p1, "first.raw");
    collect_counts(get_random_value, "second.raw");
    return 0;
}
===================================================

I converted the raw output files to PNG format using the commands:

    rawtopgm 360 152 first.raw > first.pgm
    rawtopgm 360 152 second.raw > second.pgm

If you don't have access to that utility, feel free to use whatever
method you're most comfortable with for converting the counts array into
a grayscale image.

The bright peaks in those images correspond to the corners of the cube.
The bright curves connecting them correspond to the edges. It's easy to
see that second.pgm is much more highly peaked than first.pgm.

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Thread

quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-05-30 13:47 -0700
  Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-05-30 13:56 -0700
    Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2019-05-31 02:08 +0100
      Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 00:51 -0700
      Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 02:12 -0700
        Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Eli the Bearded <*@eli.users.panix.com> - 2019-05-31 19:27 +0000
          Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 12:49 -0700
            Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Eli the Bearded <*@eli.users.panix.com> - 2019-05-31 20:36 +0000
              Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 14:00 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 14:19 -0700
      Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? mark.bluemel@gmail.com - 2019-05-31 03:56 -0700
        Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? queequeg@trust.no1 (Queequeg) - 2019-05-31 11:57 +0000
        Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2019-05-31 15:22 +0100
          Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 07:42 -0700
            Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 08:25 -0700
      Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 05:20 -0700
        Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2019-05-31 13:39 +0100
          Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2019-05-31 15:51 +0100
          Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2019-06-03 08:26 -0400
        Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 05:54 -0700
          Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 06:15 -0700
            Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 06:23 -0700
            Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2019-05-31 16:12 +0200
              Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 08:14 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2019-05-31 18:18 +0200
                Rick should killfile everybody. (Was: quick & easy random dir vector, how?) gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2019-05-31 17:39 +0000
                Re: Rick should killfile everybody. (Was: quick & easy random dir vector, how?) "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 10:55 -0700
                Re: Rick should killfile everybody. (Was: quick & easy random dir vector, how?) Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2019-05-31 22:33 +0100
                Re: Rick should killfile everybody. (Was: quick & easy random dir vector, how?) Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2019-05-31 16:26 -0700
                Re: Rick should killfile everybody. (Was: quick & easy random dir vector, how?) gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2019-05-31 23:29 +0000
                Re: Rick should killfile everybody. (Was: quick & easy random dir vector, how?) gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2019-05-31 23:28 +0000
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? waterwitch86@gmail.com - 2019-06-09 03:47 -0700
            Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2019-05-31 15:43 +0100
              Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 08:13 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2019-05-31 22:49 +0100
            Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2019-05-31 23:01 -0400
              Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-06-01 04:10 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2019-06-01 13:47 +0100
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-06-01 12:04 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-06-01 12:35 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-06-01 12:53 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-06-01 14:52 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-06-01 15:04 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-06-01 15:41 -0700
            Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2019-06-01 15:30 +0300
              Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-06-03 05:30 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-06-03 05:39 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2019-06-03 15:17 +0100
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-06-03 07:32 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2019-06-03 18:09 +0200
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2019-06-03 21:14 +0100
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-06-03 13:18 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2019-06-03 22:42 +0100
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-06-03 16:21 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2019-06-03 15:40 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-06-04 05:19 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2019-06-04 16:31 +0100
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-06-04 11:48 -0400
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Chris M. Thomasson" <invalid_chris_thomasson_invalid@invalid.com> - 2019-06-04 21:09 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Chris M. Thomasson" <invalid_chris_thomasson_invalid@invalid.com> - 2019-06-04 21:11 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? jadill33@gmail.com - 2019-06-05 12:41 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? jadill33@gmail.com - 2019-06-05 12:46 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Chris M. Thomasson" <invalid_chris_thomasson_invalid@invalid.com> - 2019-06-05 13:53 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Eli the Bearded <*@eli.users.panix.com> - 2019-06-05 21:45 +0000
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Chris M. Thomasson" <invalid_chris_thomasson_invalid@invalid.com> - 2019-06-05 23:06 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Eli the Bearded <*@eli.users.panix.com> - 2019-06-06 06:47 +0000
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Chris M. Thomasson" <invalid_chris_thomasson_invalid@invalid.com> - 2019-06-06 18:32 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Chris M. Thomasson" <invalid_chris_thomasson_invalid@invalid.com> - 2019-06-06 18:44 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? richard@cogsci.ed.ac.uk (Richard Tobin) - 2019-06-05 13:43 +0000
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2019-06-05 07:24 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-06-05 13:29 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2019-06-05 08:05 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2019-06-04 19:01 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2019-06-06 22:57 -0400
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2019-06-06 09:14 -0400
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-06-06 08:10 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "F. Russell" <fr@random.info> - 2019-06-06 16:17 +0000
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2019-06-06 20:18 -0400
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-06-06 23:22 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2019-06-07 07:15 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2019-06-07 00:41 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-06-09 13:57 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2019-06-10 08:18 -0400
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-06-10 08:49 -0400
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2019-06-10 20:59 -0400
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-06-10 18:27 -0700
                Rick is a Marine!!! (Was: quick & easy random dir vector, how?) gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2019-06-10 13:53 +0000
                Re: Rick is a Marine!!! (Was: quick & easy random dir vector, how?) "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-06-10 09:14 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2019-06-10 07:24 -0700
            Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2019-06-03 08:30 -0400
          Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 06:21 -0700
            Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 06:26 -0700
              Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 06:33 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 07:00 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 07:14 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 10:15 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 10:40 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 14:01 -0700
            Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 07:07 -0700
              Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 07:15 -0700
  Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2019-06-01 00:40 +0300
    Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-05-31 14:54 -0700
    Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Clifford Heath <no.spam@please.net> - 2019-06-02 23:00 +1000
      Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2019-06-03 00:00 -0700
        Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Clifford Heath <no.spam@please.net> - 2019-06-03 17:33 +1000
          Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2019-06-03 00:55 -0700
          Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2019-06-04 10:00 -0700
  Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Chris M. Thomasson" <invalid_chris_thomasson_invalid@invalid.com> - 2019-06-01 18:34 -0700
    Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2019-06-02 03:13 +0100
      Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Chris M. Thomasson" <invalid_chris_thomasson_invalid@invalid.com> - 2019-06-01 21:47 -0700
    Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2019-06-02 13:16 +0300
      Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-06-02 05:38 -0700
        Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-06-02 05:54 -0700
          Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-06-02 06:08 -0700
            Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-06-02 06:24 -0700
              Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-06-02 06:34 -0700
              Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-06-02 06:43 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-06-02 07:06 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-06-02 13:12 -0700
              Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-06-02 06:58 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2019-06-02 14:08 +0000
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Chris M. Thomasson" <invalid_chris_thomasson_invalid@invalid.com> - 2019-06-02 21:56 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Chris M. Thomasson" <invalid_chris_thomasson_invalid@invalid.com> - 2019-06-02 21:56 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2019-06-03 02:47 -0700
                Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "Chris M. Thomasson" <invalid_chris_thomasson_invalid@invalid.com> - 2019-06-07 01:32 -0700
  Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "F. Russell" <frussell@random.info> - 2019-06-03 12:33 +0000
    Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-06-03 07:36 -0700
      Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? "F. Russell" <frussell@random.info> - 2019-06-03 14:46 +0000
        Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-06-03 08:13 -0700
      Re: quick & easy random dir vector, how? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2019-06-03 07:51 -0700

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