how are random numbers determined
How does XLS determine random numbers? Does the sequence repeat after a
number of iterations? |
hectorvector -
See "Description of the RAND function in Excel 2003" at http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;828795 - Mike www.mikemiddleton.com "hectorvector" wrote in message ... How does XLS determine random numbers? Does the sequence repeat after a number of iterations? |
For earlier versions of Excel, see
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q86523/ which has a much shorter period. Computers generate pseudo random numbers, which generally will repeat at some point. The relevant questions are how random (in multiple dimensions) are the results and how long is the period. http://groups.google.com/groups?selm...9.36e9afd8%40p... implements the 2003 algorithm in VBA. An even better algorithm is the Mersenne Twister http://www.math.sci.hiroshima-u.ac.j...at/MT/emt.html http://www.math.sci.hiroshima-u.ac.j...S/FORTRAN/fort... http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/...neTwister.html which is implemented in the freeware NtRand http://www.numtech.com/NtRand/ Jerry Mike Middleton wrote: hectorvector - See "Description of the RAND function in Excel 2003" at http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;828795 - Mike www.mikemiddleton.com "hectorvector" wrote in message ... How does XLS determine random numbers? Does the sequence repeat after a number of iterations? |
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