comparison src/fns.c @ 6376:3fe339cf2dde

(Frandom): Eliminate bias in random number generator.

6375:212dcd2c06e4

With argument t, set the random number seed from the current time and pid.")
  (limit)
     Lisp_Object limit;
{
  int val;
  extern long random ();
  extern srandom ();
  extern long time ();

  if (EQ (limit, Qt))
    srandom (getpid () + time (0));
  val = random ();
  if (XTYPE (limit) == Lisp_Int && XINT (limit) != 0)
    {
      /* Try to take our random number from the higher bits of VAL,
	 not the lower, since (says Gentzel) the low bits of `random'
	 are less random than the higher ones.  */
      val &= 0xfffffff;		/* Ensure positive.  */
      val >>= 5;
      if (XINT (limit) < 10000)
	val >>= 6;
      val %= XINT (limit);
    }
  return make_number (val);
}

/* Random data-structure functions */

6376:3fe339cf2dde

With argument t, set the random number seed from the current time and pid.")
  (limit)
     Lisp_Object limit;
{
  int val;
  unsigned long denominator;
  extern long random ();
  extern srandom ();
  extern long time ();

  if (EQ (limit, Qt))
    srandom (getpid () + time (0));
  if (XTYPE (limit) == Lisp_Int && XINT (limit) > 0)
    {
      /* Try to take our random number from the higher bits of VAL,
	 not the lower, since (says Gentzel) the low bits of `random'
	 are less random than the higher ones.  We do this by using the
	 quotient rather than the remainder.  At the high end of the RNG
	 it's possible to get a quotient larger than limit; discarding
	 these values eliminates the bias that would otherwise appear
	 when using a large limit.  */
      denominator = (unsigned long)0x80000000 / XFASTINT (limit);
      do
	val = (random () & 0x7fffffff) / denominator;
      while (val >= limit);
    }
  else
    val = random ();
  return make_number (val);
}

/* Random data-structure functions */