Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
Random strip button, WTF??
Norrit:
Alright, a few geeky things really quickly. Computers at their root cannot be completely random, it is one of their faults. They can be so close to random that they seem it to the casual observer but that would be due to very complicated algorithms.
"A "random number generator" based solely on deterministic computation cannot be regarded as a "true" random number generator, since its output is inherently predictable. John von Neumann famously said "Anyone who uses arithmetic methods to produce random numbers is in a state of sin." How to distinguish a "true" random number from the output of a pseudo-random number generator is a very difficult problem. However, carefully chosen pseudo-random number generators can be used instead of true random numbers in many applications. Rigorous statistical analysis of the output is often needed to have confidence in the algorithm."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_number_generator#.22True.22_random_numbers_vs._pseudo-random_numbers
Now on to the graph, I love that graph. It seems to me in my very basic understanding of Chaos or Complexity, to hold true to some of the signs of chaos. Periodic and seemingly random, maybe we should get the guys from XKCD to analyze.
snalin:
--- Quote from: NuclearDog on 05 May 2008, 01:25 ---http://upload.nucleardog.com/49/qcanalysis2500.gif
Made 2500 requests to ohnorobot.com and recorded the resulting comic ID, graphed them (X - request #, Y - comic ID).
/ Very bored.
ND
--- End quote ---
Now, make a graph showing what strips you got most of, with intervals [0,50> [50,100> and so on.
css.pirate:
--- Quote from: Norrit on 08 Jun 2008, 23:32 ---Periodic and seemingly random, maybe we should get the guys from XKCD to analyze.
--- End quote ---
You might have a hard time getting "the guys" (near as I can tell, it's just ONE, Randall Munroe) to analyze it if you refer to it as "XKCD": the preferred form is "xkcd"--all lowercase.
IKantSpell:
Dilbert. Yes, Dilbert.
Norrit:
--- Quote from: css.pirate on 09 Jun 2008, 18:36 ---
--- Quote from: Norrit on 08 Jun 2008, 23:32 ---Periodic and seemingly random, maybe we should get the guys from XKCD to analyze.
--- End quote ---
You might have a hard time getting "the guys" (near as I can tell, it's just ONE, Randall Munroe) to analyze it if you refer to it as "XKCD": the preferred form is "xkcd"--all lowercase.
--- End quote ---
Well css.pirate, I was actually referring to the community and the forums. They have very intelligent people there discussing complex math all the time. I know that Randall Munroe is just one man and very busy most of the time, thank you for updating me on that.
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