This tag is for questions pertaining to random numbers and their generators, whether pseudo-random or truly random.
This tag is for questions pertaining to creating random numbers or random distributions: using random number generators (RNGs), creating specific distributions (e.g. Gaussian, Bernoulli or log-normal) with given parameters from normal random numbers, problems and caveats with given implementations in different languages.
Since different languages may use different RNGs, a question with this tag must also be tagged with the language being used.
Frequently-asked questions
How can I generate N uniformly-distributed random real numbers that sum to a given value?
- Language-agnostic
- Python
- Matlab
- PHP
- Javascript
- If uniformity is important, beware of this popular algorithm (its output is not uniform.)
How can I choose N elements, avoiding duplicates, from a list (or from the integer range 1..M)? This is known as dealing elements, as in dealing playing cards.
If I create a new random number generator object for each request, why does it return the same value repeatedly? (Or: only seed the random generator once)
How do I generate a random integer value within a range?
