From: Joel VanderWerf <vjoel@...>
Date: 2004-08-13T10:57:47+09:00
Subject: Re: Random variable library?

Kirk Haines wrote:
> On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 07:17:01 +0900, Joel VanderWerf wrote
> 
> 
>>I'd like to see something like that, but with multiple independent 
>>streams of random numbers, so it can be used for simulations with 
>>many random variables.
> 
> 
> I have a Ruby implementation of the ISAAC cryptographically secure random 
> number generator packaged with Iowa.  Each Crypt::Iowa object is an 
> independent source of random numbers.
> 
> @random_numbers = Crypt::ISAAC.new
> 
> number = @random_numbers.rand(1000)
> 
> It does need a little work, but it wouldn't take much to polish it up.

That's great! I hope it ends up in RAA :)

Are there any disadvantages? License, memory usage, cpu usage? How about 
randomness metrics, compared to something like the MT generators? I'd 
guess they'd be better for a crytpo secure PRNG...