From: jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu   
      
   On 2025-12-23 21:02, Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote:   
   > On Wed, 24 Dec 2025 00:08:24 +0200, Michael S wrote:   
   >   
   >> Testing randomness is complicated matter.   
   >   
   > Impossible, really, if you define “random” as “Nobody can know what   
   comes   
   > next”.   
      
   The quality of pseudo-random number generators can be measured, but you   
   need to carefully define what you mean by "quality". The relevant   
   measures can be different for different purposes. I've seen a randome   
   number generator used in a context where the only relevant criteria was   
   that the probability of each number occurring was equal. In that   
   particular contest, a function that simply always returned the sequence   
   0, 1, 2, ... RAND_MAX, and then started over again at the beginning   
   would have been good enough. Most applications have somewhat stronger   
   requirements :-)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)