Understanding “randomness”

Question

I can\'t get my head around this, which is more random?

rand()

OR:

rand() * rand()

I´m f

Answer 1

As others already pointed out, this question is hard to answer since everyone of us has his own picture of randomness in his head.

That is why, I would highly recommend you to take some time and read through this site to get a better idea of randomness:

• http://www.random.org/

To get back to the real question. There is no more or less random in this term:

both only appears random!

In both cases - just rand() or rand() * rand() - the situation is the same: After a few billion of numbers the sequence will repeat(!). It appears random to the observer, because he does not know the whole sequence, but the computer has no true random source - so he can not produce randomness either.

e.g.: Is the weather random? We do not have enough sensors or knowledge to determine if weather is random or not.