[R] Question

[(Ted Harding)]

On 13-Dec-05 Prof Brian Ripley wrote:
> On Tue, 13 Dec 2005 Ted.Harding at nessie.mcc.ac.uk wrote:
> 
>> On 13-Dec-05 Uwe Ligges wrote:
>>> Davia Cox wrote:
>>> [...]
>>>> My question is in order to run a true random sample,
>>>
>>> We have to disappoint you: Your computer cannot generate
>>> "true random samples".
>>
>> At least on Linux (and probably most Unix) systems,
>> /dev/random must be a pretty good approximation (provided
>> you don't over-work it ... ).
> 
> See
> 
> library(accuracy)
> ?trueRandom
> 
> (for some definition of 'true').

Spot on! Thanks for this -- I wasn't aware of it previously.

The URL to HotBits in ?trueRandom is worth following, and the
descriptions in "How it Works":

  http://www.fourmilab.ch/hotbits/how.html

are entertaining reading.

Best wishes,
Ted.

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Date: 13-Dec-05                                       Time: 16:47:37
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