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Diffstat (limited to 'lib/stdlib/doc/src/rand.xml')
| -rw-r--r-- | lib/stdlib/doc/src/rand.xml | 173 |
1 files changed, 143 insertions, 30 deletions
diff --git a/lib/stdlib/doc/src/rand.xml b/lib/stdlib/doc/src/rand.xml index 3a5d18dc35..e06d7e467d 100644 --- a/lib/stdlib/doc/src/rand.xml +++ b/lib/stdlib/doc/src/rand.xml @@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ <erlref> <header> <copyright> - <year>2015</year><year>2016</year> + <year>2015</year><year>2017</year> <holder>Ericsson AB. All Rights Reserved.</holder> </copyright> <legalnotice> @@ -50,26 +50,73 @@ <p>The following algorithms are provided:</p> <taglist> - <tag><c>exsplus</c></tag> + <tag><c>exrop</c></tag> <item> - <p>Xorshift116+, 58 bits precision and period of 2^116-1</p> + <p>Xoroshiro116+, 58 bits precision and period of 2^116-1</p> <p>Jump function: equivalent to 2^64 calls</p> </item> - <tag><c>exs64</c></tag> - <item> - <p>Xorshift64*, 64 bits precision and a period of 2^64-1</p> - <p>Jump function: not available</p> - </item> - <tag><c>exs1024</c></tag> + <tag><c>exs1024s</c></tag> <item> <p>Xorshift1024*, 64 bits precision and a period of 2^1024-1</p> <p>Jump function: equivalent to 2^512 calls</p> </item> + <tag><c>exsp</c></tag> + <item> + <p>Xorshift116+, 58 bits precision and period of 2^116-1</p> + <p>Jump function: equivalent to 2^64 calls</p> + <p> + This is a corrected version of the previous default algorithm, + that now has been superseeded by Xoroshiro116+ (<c>exrop</c>). + Since there is no native 58 bit rotate instruction this + algorithm executes a little (say < 15%) faster than <c>exrop</c>. + See the + <url href="http://xorshift.di.unimi.it">algorithms' homepage</url>. + </p> + </item> </taglist> - <p>The default algorithm is <c>exsplus</c>. If a specific algorithm is + <p> + The default algorithm is <c>exrop</c> (Xoroshiro116+). + If a specific algorithm is required, ensure to always use <seealso marker="#seed-1"> - <c>seed/1</c></seealso> to initialize the state.</p> + <c>seed/1</c></seealso> to initialize the state. + </p> + + <p> + Undocumented (old) algorithms are deprecated but still implemented + so old code relying on them will produce + the same pseudo random sequences as before. + </p> + + <note> + <p> + There were a number of problems in the implementation + of the now undocumented algorithms, which is why + they are deprecated. The new algorithms are a bit slower + but do not have these problems: + </p> + <p> + Uniform integer ranges had a skew in the probability distribution + that was not noticable for small ranges but for large ranges + less than the generator's precision the probability to produce + a low number could be twice the probability for a high. + </p> + <p> + Uniform integer ranges larger than or equal to the generator's + precision used a floating point fallback that only calculated + with 52 bits which is smaller than the requested range + and therefore were not all numbers in the requested range + even possible to produce. + </p> + <p> + Uniform floats had a non-uniform density so small values + i.e less than 0.5 had got smaller intervals decreasing + as the generated value approached 0.0 although still uniformly + distributed for sufficiently large subranges. The new algorithms + produces uniformly distributed floats on the form N * 2.0^(-53) + hence equally spaced. + </p> + </note> <p>Every time a random number is requested, a state is used to calculate it and a new state is produced. The state can either be @@ -99,19 +146,19 @@ R1 = rand:uniform(),</pre> <p>Use a specified algorithm:</p> <pre> -_ = rand:seed(exs1024), +_ = rand:seed(exs1024s), R2 = rand:uniform(),</pre> <p>Use a specified algorithm with a constant seed:</p> <pre> -_ = rand:seed(exs1024, {123, 123534, 345345}), +_ = rand:seed(exs1024s, {123, 123534, 345345}), R3 = rand:uniform(),</pre> <p>Use the functional API with a non-constant seed:</p> <pre> -S0 = rand:seed_s(exsplus), +S0 = rand:seed_s(exrop), {R4, S1} = rand:uniform_s(S0),</pre> <p>Create a standard normal deviate:</p> @@ -125,27 +172,87 @@ S0 = rand:seed_s(exsplus), {ND0, S3} = rand:normal_s(-3, 0.5, S2),</pre> <note> - <p>This random number generator is not cryptographically - strong. If a strong cryptographic random number generator is - needed, use one of functions in the - <seealso marker="crypto:crypto"><c>crypto</c></seealso> - module, for example, <seealso marker="crypto:crypto"> - <c>crypto:strong_rand_bytes/1</c></seealso>.</p> + <p>The builtin random number generator algorithms are not + cryptographically strong. If a cryptographically strong + random number generator is needed, use something like + <seealso marker="crypto:crypto#rand_seed-0"><c>crypto:rand_seed/0</c></seealso>. + </p> </note> + <p> + For all these generators the lowest bit(s) has got + a slightly less random behaviour than all other bits. + 1 bit for <c>exrop</c> (and <c>exsp</c>), + and 3 bits for <c>exs1024s</c>. + See for example the explanation in the + <url href="http://xoroshiro.di.unimi.it/xoroshiro128plus.c"> + Xoroshiro128+ + </url> + generator source code: + </p> + <pre> +Beside passing BigCrush, this generator passes the PractRand test suite +up to (and included) 16TB, with the exception of binary rank tests, +which fail due to the lowest bit being an LFSR; all other bits pass all +tests. We suggest to use a sign test to extract a random Boolean value.</pre> + <p> + If this is a problem; to generate a boolean + use something like this: + </p> + <pre>(rand:uniform(16) > 8)</pre> + <p> + And for a general range, with <c>N = 1</c> for <c>exrop</c>, + and <c>N = 3</c> for <c>exs1024s</c>: + </p> + <pre>(((rand:uniform(Range bsl N) - 1) bsr N) + 1)</pre> + <p> + The floating point generating functions in this module + waste the lowest bits when converting from an integer + so they avoid this snag. + </p> + + </description> <datatypes> <datatype> + <name name="builtin_alg"/> + </datatype> + <datatype> <name name="alg"/> </datatype> <datatype> + <name name="alg_handler"/> + </datatype> + <datatype> + <name name="alg_state"/> + </datatype> + <datatype> <name name="state"/> <desc><p>Algorithm-dependent state.</p></desc> </datatype> <datatype> <name name="export_state"/> - <desc><p>Algorithm-dependent state that can be printed or saved to - file.</p></desc> + <desc> + <p> + Algorithm-dependent state that can be printed or saved to file. + </p> + </desc> + </datatype> + <datatype> + <name name="exs64_state"/> + <desc><p>Algorithm specific internal state</p></desc> + </datatype> + <datatype> + <name name="exsplus_state"/> + <desc><p>Algorithm specific internal state</p></desc> + </datatype> + <datatype> + <name name="exs1024_state"/> + <desc><p>Algorithm specific internal state</p></desc> + </datatype> + <datatype> + <name name="exrop_state"/> + <desc><p>Algorithm specific internal state</p></desc> </datatype> </datatypes> @@ -238,8 +345,11 @@ S0 = rand:seed_s(exsplus), <fsummary>Seed random number generator.</fsummary> <desc> <marker id="seed-1"/> - <p>Seeds random number generation with the specifed algorithm and - time-dependent data if <anno>AlgOrExpState</anno> is an algorithm.</p> + <p> + Seeds random number generation with the specifed algorithm and + time-dependent data if <c><anno>AlgOrStateOrExpState</anno></c> + is an algorithm. + </p> <p>Otherwise recreates the exported seed in the process dictionary, and returns the state. See also <seealso marker="#export_seed-0"><c>export_seed/0</c></seealso>.</p> @@ -259,8 +369,11 @@ S0 = rand:seed_s(exsplus), <name name="seed_s" arity="1"/> <fsummary>Seed random number generator.</fsummary> <desc> - <p>Seeds random number generation with the specifed algorithm and - time-dependent data if <anno>AlgOrExpState</anno> is an algorithm.</p> + <p> + Seeds random number generation with the specifed algorithm and + time-dependent data if <c><anno>AlgOrStateOrExpState</anno></c> + is an algorithm. + </p> <p>Otherwise recreates the exported seed and returns the state. See also <seealso marker="#export_seed-0"> <c>export_seed/0</c></seealso>.</p> @@ -281,7 +394,7 @@ S0 = rand:seed_s(exsplus), <fsummary>Return a random float.</fsummary> <desc><marker id="uniform-0"/> <p>Returns a random float uniformly distributed in the value - range <c>0.0 < <anno>X</anno> < 1.0</c> and + range <c>0.0 =< <anno>X</anno> < 1.0</c> and updates the state in the process dictionary.</p> </desc> </func> @@ -292,7 +405,7 @@ S0 = rand:seed_s(exsplus), <desc><marker id="uniform-1"/> <p>Returns, for a specified integer <c><anno>N</anno> >= 1</c>, a random integer uniformly distributed in the value range - <c>1 <= <anno>X</anno> <= <anno>N</anno></c> and + <c>1 =< <anno>X</anno> =< <anno>N</anno></c> and updates the state in the process dictionary.</p> </desc> </func> @@ -302,7 +415,7 @@ S0 = rand:seed_s(exsplus), <fsummary>Return a random float.</fsummary> <desc> <p>Returns, for a specified state, random float - uniformly distributed in the value range <c>0.0 < + uniformly distributed in the value range <c>0.0 =< <anno>X</anno> < 1.0</c> and a new state.</p> </desc> </func> @@ -313,7 +426,7 @@ S0 = rand:seed_s(exsplus), <desc> <p>Returns, for a specified integer <c><anno>N</anno> >= 1</c> and a state, a random integer uniformly distributed in the value - range <c>1 <= <anno>X</anno> <= <anno>N</anno></c> and a + range <c>1 =< <anno>X</anno> =< <anno>N</anno></c> and a new state.</p> </desc> </func> |