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RANDOM.ORG - True Random Number Service (180 words) |
 | In reality, most random numbers used in computer programs are pseudo-random, which means they are a generated in a predictable fashion using a mathematical formula. |
| This is fine for many purposes, but it may not be random in the way you expect if you're used to dice rolls, roulette wheels and lottery draws. |
| The randomness comes from atmospheric noise, which for many purposes is better than the pseudo-random number algorithms typically used in computer programs. |
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Random Number -- from Wolfram MathWorld (615 words) |
| A random number is a number chosen as if by chance from some specified distribution such that selection of a large set of these numbers reproduces the underlying distribution. |
| Computer-generated random numbers are sometimes called pseudorandom numbers, while the term "random" is reserved for the output of unpredictable physical processes. |
| Most random number generators require specification of an initial number used as the starting point, which is known as a "seed." The goodness of random numbers generated by a given algorithm can be analyzed by examining its noise sphere. |
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