Chapter 2: Understanding Randomness and Random Numbers
In many real-life situations, it is useful to flip a coin in order to decide what to do. Many computers also use this procedure as part of their decision-making process. In fact, many problems can be solved in a very effective and relatively simple way by using probabilistic algorithms. In an algorithm of this type, decisions are made based on random contributions that remember the dice roll with the help of a randomly chosen value.
The generation of random numbers has ancient roots, but only recently has the process been sped up, allowing it to be used on a large scale in scientific research as well. These generators are mainly used for computer simulations, statistical sampling techniques, or in the field of cryptography.
In this chapter, we're going to cover the following topics:
