Dilbert on Random Number Generation

Published 25 October 04 09:31 AM | mhawley

I'm catching up on my Dilbert Desktop calendar and today's is going to be a keeper. Unfortunately, I can't scan it onto my computer (I think it may be copyright violation as well), but the strip is just great:

[Tour of Accounting]
Accounting Troll: "Over here we have our random number generator"

Number Generator Troll: "Nine Nine Nine Nine Nine Nine"

Dilbert: "Are you sure that's random?"

Accounting Troll: "That's the problem with randomness: you can never be sure"

Thinking back about this, its so true. A random number generated at this exact moment can theoretically be re-generated at a later time, how random is that. However, your odds increase as the number of random numbers that can be generated increase, though I'm sure all of you know this by now.

Filed under:

Comments

# Nathan Maffeo said on October 25, 2004 02:23 PM:

while i thought it was halarious as well - its not really true, you can be sure if its random. The easiest way would be to distribute the numbers as plot points and between certain intervals you should get an even distribution.

Still doesn't stop it from being funny =)

This Blog

News

.NET Links

Blogs I Read

Syndication