TIP #310 Version 1.2: Add a New Pseudo-Random Number Generator

This is not necessarily the current version of this TIP.


TIP:310
Title:Add a New Pseudo-Random Number Generator
Version:$Revision: 1.2 $
Author:Arjen Markus <arjen dot markus at wldelft dot nl>
State:Draft
Type:Project
Tcl-Version:8.6
Vote:In progress
Created:Monday, 07 January 2008
Keywords:expr

Abstract

This TIP proposes to add a new expr function: a random number generator with a longer sequence than the one currently in the core.

Rationale

The expr command has used a straightforward implementation of a pseudo-random number generator via the rand() function for many years. This has a number of desirable properties, but better ones (e.g. with a longer sequence) have been known for a long time. This TIP proposes a new function as an alternative PRNG.

PRNGs with different properties can be important for Monte Carlo simulations and other algorithms that require large amounts of random numbers without having to worry about the sequence length.

Proposal