[latex3-commits] [l3svn] r6750 - Add random numbers to l3fp, allow 0-argument functions

[David Carlisle]

Chris wrote

> E.g. Does it use something directly from the OS,

agreed we should document this.
Actually pdftex and luatex should document it without having to look
in the sources, but anyway...

luatex and pdftex use Knuth's function (originally) from metafont

> pdftex.web @* \[7b] Random numbers.

> \MP\ generates pseudo-random numbers with the additive scheme
> recommended in Section 3.6 of {\sl The Art of Computer Programming};
> however, the results are random fractions between 0 and |fraction_one-1|,
> inclusive.


If xetex adds this it's not yet clear what it will add, original
suggestion was to add
the same but there was a somewhat disconnected thread on xetex list with people
proposing the C library drand48() function as being better than the
original rand()
but not clear how it compares the TAOCP function or how rand() is relevant since
pdftex doesn't use it.


David