IT How Random Really Works

IT How Random Really Works SWIPE >>> You probably already know how to generate a random number in programming, be it in Python, Java, C, etc. However, have you ever wondered how a computer generates a random number? First, you should know that random numbers can be of 2 types... Truly random numbers Truly random numbers are mainly generated by considering some real world physical process, such as the mouse movement. That makes the numbers unpredictable, but they are also slower to generate. -------------------------------------------------- Pseudo-random numbers On the other hand, PRNs are generated only within the computer by using an initial value, called seed, and an algorithm. That means the numbers get generated quickly, but they are also deterministic. When using a function that generates random numbers, you are in fact generating PRNs. PRNGs produce a long sequence of numbers that keep repeating. The only random part of PRNs is where in the sequence you start at. That means if you start at the same place you'll get the same numbers. Let's see an example... import random random.seed(3) print(random.randint(1, 100)) print(random.randint(1, 100)) print(random.randint(1, 100)) # Setting the seed back to 3 random.seed(3) print(random.randint(1, 100)) print(random.randint(1, 100)) print(random.randint(1, 100)) Output: 31 76 70 31 76 70 After we set the seed value back to 3, the exact same numbers got generated again PRNs are fine to use when you don't really need numbers that are completely random, like in video games. But in some cases, it's critically important to have numbers that an attacker can't guess, like in encryption. That's when TRNs and HW devices to generate them come into play. Was this post useful to you? Check out more on my profile! IT Challenges Coding content OUR E-BOOK IS OUT NOW! 9 GREAT JAVA PROJECT IDEAS Easy Mid Pro 4 PILLARS OF OOP Abstraction Encapsulation Inheritance Polymorphism Escape From The Tutorial Hell 9 AREAS WHERE CODING IS POPULARLY USED AI Machine Learning Web Development Mobile Apps Game Development Cybersecurity Data Science DevOps Blockchain 7 APIs You Should Try DYNAMIC MEMORY ALLOCATION IN C Six Google Search Tips 9 GOOD RESOURCES TO LEARN CODING U U U U U U U U U Switch-case In Python THE EISENHOWER DECISION MATRIX SWIPE >>> @ITCHALLENGES SWIPE >>>