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Verifying Randomness

Posted By: Chuck Bower
Date: Thursday, 12 August 2010, at 7:18 p.m.

In Response To: Verifying Randomness (Jason Lee)

If we're dealing with absolute (mathematically defensible) concepts, then I don't doubt what you say. However, I also question the magnitude of the practical value. There should be (and I think there are) ways to determine if a device (in this case 'Meyer tube') delivers numbers which are sufficiently random that other uncertainties dwarf their shortcomings (or not, but in either case you can decide if you accept it or reject it on the basis of predefined, predetermined tests).

Pseudo-random number generators have been scrutinized for (I believe) as long as they've existed. Still, both the generators and the tests have improved and continue to improve with time. See, for example:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diehard_tests

In practical terms it is much easier to test random numbers (pseudo, in particular) which are digitally generated/recorded than ones coming from an analog engine such as the Meyer device, but still there must be some kind of doable experiments that lead to some kind of useful conclusions.

(BTW, I think Caspar, Tom, and Xavier said similar things to what I just said.)

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