Node:Cliff Random Function, Next:Ordinal Functions, Previous:Round Function, Up:General Functions
The Cliff random number
generator1
is a very simple random number generator that "passes the noise sphere test
for randomness by showing no structure."
It is easily programmed, in less than 10 lines of awk code:
# cliff_rand.awk --- generate Cliff random numbers
BEGIN { _cliff_seed = 0.1 }
function cliff_rand()
{
_cliff_seed = (100 * log(_cliff_seed)) % 1
if (_cliff_seed < 0)
_cliff_seed = - _cliff_seed
return _cliff_seed
}
This algorithm requires an initial "seed" of 0.1. Each new value
uses the current seed as input for the calculation.
If the built-in rand function
(see Numeric Functions)
isn't random enough, you might try using this function instead.