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<title>Random Number Generation - GNU Scientific Library -- Reference Manual</title>
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<h2 class="chapter">17 Random Number Generation</h2>
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<p><a name="index-random-number-generators-1372"></a>
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The library provides a large collection of random number generators
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which can be accessed through a uniform interface. Environment
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variables allow you to select different generators and seeds at runtime,
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so that you can easily switch between generators without needing to
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recompile your program. Each instance of a generator keeps track of its
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own state, allowing the generators to be used in multi-threaded
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programs. Additional functions are available for transforming uniform
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random numbers into samples from continuous or discrete probability
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distributions such as the Gaussian, log-normal or Poisson distributions.
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<p>These functions are declared in the header file <samp><span class="file">gsl_rng.h</span></samp>.
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<!-- Need to explain the difference between SERIAL and PARALLEL random -->
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<!-- number generators here -->
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<li><a accesskey="1" href="General-comments-on-random-numbers.html#General-comments-on-random-numbers">General comments on random numbers</a>
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<li><a accesskey="2" href="The-Random-Number-Generator-Interface.html#The-Random-Number-Generator-Interface">The Random Number Generator Interface</a>
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<li><a accesskey="3" href="Random-number-generator-initialization.html#Random-number-generator-initialization">Random number generator initialization</a>
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<li><a accesskey="4" href="Sampling-from-a-random-number-generator.html#Sampling-from-a-random-number-generator">Sampling from a random number generator</a>
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<li><a accesskey="5" href="Auxiliary-random-number-generator-functions.html#Auxiliary-random-number-generator-functions">Auxiliary random number generator functions</a>
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<li><a accesskey="6" href="Random-number-environment-variables.html#Random-number-environment-variables">Random number environment variables</a>
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<li><a accesskey="7" href="Copying-random-number-generator-state.html#Copying-random-number-generator-state">Copying random number generator state</a>
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<li><a accesskey="8" href="Reading-and-writing-random-number-generator-state.html#Reading-and-writing-random-number-generator-state">Reading and writing random number generator state</a>
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<li><a accesskey="9" href="Random-number-generator-algorithms.html#Random-number-generator-algorithms">Random number generator algorithms</a>
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<li><a href="Unix-random-number-generators.html#Unix-random-number-generators">Unix random number generators</a>
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<li><a href="Other-random-number-generators.html#Other-random-number-generators">Other random number generators</a>
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<li><a href="Random-Number-Generator-Performance.html#Random-Number-Generator-Performance">Random Number Generator Performance</a>
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<li><a href="Random-Number-Generator-Examples.html#Random-Number-Generator-Examples">Random Number Generator Examples</a>
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<li><a href="Random-Number-References-and-Further-Reading.html#Random-Number-References-and-Further-Reading">Random Number References and Further Reading</a>
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<li><a href="Random-Number-Acknowledgements.html#Random-Number-Acknowledgements">Random Number Acknowledgements</a>
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