mirror of
https://github.com/python/cpython.git
synced 2024-12-01 03:01:36 +01:00
269625f67a
little more formal.
75 lines
2.9 KiB
TeX
75 lines
2.9 KiB
TeX
\section{\module{whrandom} ---
|
|
Pseudo-random number generator}
|
|
|
|
\declaremodule{standard}{whrandom}
|
|
\modulesynopsis{Floating point pseudo-random number generator.}
|
|
|
|
\deprecated{2.1}{Use \refmodule{random} instead.}
|
|
|
|
\strong{Note:} This module was an implementation detail of the
|
|
\refmodule{random} module in releases of Python prior to 2.1. It is
|
|
no longer used. Please do not use this module directly; use
|
|
\refmodule{random} instead.
|
|
|
|
This module implements a Wichmann-Hill pseudo-random number generator
|
|
class that is also named \class{whrandom}. Instances of the
|
|
\class{whrandom} class conform to the Random Number Generator
|
|
interface described in section \ref{rng-objects}. They also offer the
|
|
following method, specific to the Wichmann-Hill algorithm:
|
|
|
|
\begin{methoddesc}[whrandom]{seed}{\optional{x, y, z}}
|
|
Initializes the random number generator from the integers \var{x},
|
|
\var{y} and \var{z}. When the module is first imported, the random
|
|
number is initialized using values derived from the current time.
|
|
If \var{x}, \var{y}, and \var{z} are either omitted or \code{0}, the
|
|
seed will be computed from the current system time. If one or two
|
|
of the parameters are \code{0}, but not all three, the zero values
|
|
are replaced by ones. This causes some apparently different seeds
|
|
to be equal, with the corresponding result on the pseudo-random
|
|
series produced by the generator.
|
|
\end{methoddesc}
|
|
|
|
\begin{funcdesc}{choice}{seq}
|
|
Chooses a random element from the non-empty sequence \var{seq} and returns it.
|
|
\end{funcdesc}
|
|
|
|
\begin{funcdesc}{randint}{a, b}
|
|
Returns a random integer \var{N} such that \code{\var{a}<=\var{N}<=\var{b}}.
|
|
\end{funcdesc}
|
|
|
|
\begin{funcdesc}{random}{}
|
|
Returns the next random floating point number in the range [0.0 ... 1.0).
|
|
\end{funcdesc}
|
|
|
|
\begin{funcdesc}{seed}{x, y, z}
|
|
Initializes the random number generator from the integers \var{x},
|
|
\var{y} and \var{z}. When the module is first imported, the random
|
|
number is initialized using values derived from the current time.
|
|
\end{funcdesc}
|
|
|
|
\begin{funcdesc}{uniform}{a, b}
|
|
Returns a random real number \var{N} such that \code{\var{a}<=\var{N}<\var{b}}.
|
|
\end{funcdesc}
|
|
|
|
When imported, the \module{whrandom} module also creates an instance of
|
|
the \class{whrandom} class, and makes the methods of that instance
|
|
available at the module level. Therefore one can write either
|
|
\code{N = whrandom.random()} or:
|
|
|
|
\begin{verbatim}
|
|
generator = whrandom.whrandom()
|
|
N = generator.random()
|
|
\end{verbatim}
|
|
|
|
Note that using separate instances of the generator leads to
|
|
independent sequences of pseudo-random numbers.
|
|
|
|
\begin{seealso}
|
|
\seemodule{random}{Generators for various random distributions and
|
|
documentation for the Random Number Generator
|
|
interface.}
|
|
\seetext{Wichmann, B. A. \& Hill, I. D., ``Algorithm AS 183:
|
|
An efficient and portable pseudo-random number generator'',
|
|
\citetitle{Applied Statistics} 31 (1982) 188-190.}
|
|
\end{seealso}
|