A Quote by Donald Knuth

Random numbers should not be generated with a method chosen at random

Donald Knuth

Quote Topics

Chosen Method Numbers Random Should

Quote Author

Donald Knuth
American - Scientist
Born: January 10, 1938

Any one who considers arithmetical methods of producing random digits is, of course, in a state of sin. For, as has been pointed out several times, there is no such thing as a random number - there are only methods to produce random numbers, and a strict arithmetic procedure of course is not such a method.

John von Neumann

While we can prove that almost all numbers in the continuum are random, we cannot prove that any specific number is indeed random.

Heinz Pagels

Every rock or molotov cocktail thrown should make a very obvious political point. Random violence produces random propaganda results. Why waste even a rock?

Abbie Hoffman

Random chance was not a sufficient explanation of the Universe---in fact, random chance was not sufficient to explain random chance; the pot could not hold itself.

Robert A. Heinlein

What's invaluable about actually going to the places you want to write about are the random accidental things that happen. Random, accidental detail is the best way to make a setting convincing. You can of course invent your own random details, and sometimes I will also mash up real incidents.

Zachary Lazar

Don't say random stuff. It makes me do random things

Onew

Mutation is random; natural selection is the very opposite of random.

Richard Dawkins

My random acts of violence weren't random. They were premeditated.

Christopher Titus

My lyrics are generated by various peculiar processes. Very random and similar to automatic writing.

Brian Eno

I think nobody would claim that random genetic drift is capable of producing adaptation, that is to say the illusion of design. Random genetic drift can't produce wings that are good at flying, or eyes that are good at seeing, or legs that are good at running. But random genetic drift probably is very important in driving evolution at the molecular genetic level.

Richard Dawkins

For the liespotter who knows how to listen well, the random words, sounds, and phrases in a person's speech are never as random as they seem. They offer a clear sightline into the liar's psyche.

Pamela Meyer

A body of 500 men chosen at random from amongst the unemployed.

David Lloyd George

There is, however, one feature that I would like to suggest should be incorporated in the machines, and that is a 'random element.' Each machine should be supplied with a tape bearing a random series of figures, e.g., 0 and 1 in equal quantities, and this series of figures should be used in the choices made by the machine. This would result in the behaviour of the machine not being by any means completely determined by the experiences to which it was subjected, and would have some valuable uses when one was experimenting with it.