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Re: Simple random number generator?
Posted:
Dec 16, 2012 6:09 PM
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On 2012-12-15, Michael Press <rubrum@pacbell.net> wrote:
> In article <OjcVDZPLshyQFw5g@invalid.uk.co.demon.merlyn.invalid>,
> Dr J R Stockton <reply1250@merlyn.demon.co.uk.invalid> wrote:
>> In sci.math message <rubrum-471E53.18462311122012@news.albasani.net>,
>> Tue, 11 Dec 2012 18:46:23, Michael Press <rubrum@pacbell.net> posted:
>> >I do not see how quantum effects can be used to generate
>> >random sequences.
>> Radioactive decay is due to quantum effects, and there is a fixed
>> probability for each atom to decay in the next time interval.
> From what does the unpredictability of radioactive decay arise?
From the assumption that the atoms decay in a random manner. This
gives unpredictability. The other quantum assumptions say that
the decays of the various atoms are independent, and that the
decay is at an exponential rate.
The msin assumption in this is that the probability that an
atom which has not decayed by time T will still have a probability
of decay between T and U which is independent of anything which has
happened before time T, and only depends on U-T.
--
This address is for information only. I do not claim that these views
are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University.
Herman Rubin, Department of Statistics, Purdue University
hrubin@stat.purdue.edu Phone: (765)494-6054 FAX: (765)494-0558
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