Really Random Topics

Really Random Generators

Electronic hardware for generating really-random values.

• 1990-??-?? John Rogers: Use a 5v op-amp to amplify base-emitter breakdown noise
• 1990-??-?? David Battle: Use a low-frequency oscillator to sample a high-frequency oscillator and clock the bits into a shift-register
• 1990-10-04 Steven Bellovin: The two-oscillator scheme is similar to that used in the AT&T random number chip
• 1990-??-?? Kevin Quitt: Use an inverter as a high-frequency oscillator to clock a counter, then read the counter at random.
• 1990-??-?? Ted Dunning: In the two-oscillator scheme, inject noise into the low-frequency oscillator signal.
• 1992-03-18 William Unruh: Instruments used to detect randomness may introduce biases and correlations.
• 1992-06-18 Bill Squire: Use highpass filtered diode noise to toggle a flip-flop, and sample at random.
• 1992-06-19 Phil Karn: Why not use a PC sound card to digitize FM receiver noise?
• 1992-06-19 Paul Rubin: Paul responds to Phil: It's hard to get good randomness from schemes like this.
• 1992-10-22 Peter Gutmann: A circuit using a zener diode amplified by an op-amp.
• 1992-10-22 Eric Backus: Eric comments on Peter's circuit.
• 1992-10-24 Ross Anderson: Ross responds to Eric: You have to be careful here.
• 1994-02-02 Wray Kephart: Wray suggests using a commercial randomizer chip.
• 1994-02-02 Herman Rubin: Comments on testing really-random RNG's.

Improving Randomness

Physical randomness is processed before use.

• 1990-??-?? Mark Johnson: Santha-Vazirani, or the effect of XORing multiple "semi-random" sources.
• 1990-??-?? Mark Johnson: More Santha-Vazirani.
• 1990-06-14 David Lewis: A different algorithm, supposedly more accurate and more efficient.
• 1990-??-?? Benny Pinkas: The Lewis algorithm is similar to work by Blum.
• 1991-??-?? Steve Tate: There is "bias," and then there is "bias."
• 1991-??-?? Herman Rubin: More comments on bias.
• 1991-09-25 Mark Johnson: Get an even bit distribution by XORing random bits with a square wave.
• 1991-09-26 Herman Rubin: The general idea is old.
• 1992-03-18 Topher Cooper: Use DES to hash (and protect) random bits, and use a subset of them.

Essential Randomness

Is there any?

• 1990-??-?? Albert Boulanger: The randomness in Quantum Mechanics (QM) is not necessarily axiomatic.
• 1991-08-04 Paul Budnik: There is no basis for the belief that randomness is fundamental to quantum mechanics.
• 1991-08-05 Hugh Miller: Hugh quotes Penrose.
• 1991-08-06 Doug Gwin: The known phenomena of quantum physics are incompatible with local determinism.
• 1991-08-06 Paul Budnik: Paul responds to Hugh.
• 1991-08-06 Paul Budnik: Local determinism in general is not equivalent to the determinism advocated by Einstein in EPR.
• 1991-08-11 Albert Boulanger: The axiomatic development is deliberately silent concerning any requirements that the measurable functions be non-determinate.
• 1991-08-13 Lee Campbell: Nobody has come up with a working hidden variable theory.
• 1991-08-19 Paul Budnik: Local quantum mechanics is consistent with standard quantum mechanics on all known experimental results. It differs from standard quantum mechanics because it does not violate locality.
• 1991-08-14 Doug Gwin: The quantum "randomness" is not merely ASSUMED, it has been DEMONSTRATED and thus is a required feature of any such theory.
• 1991-08-26 Paul Budnik: It is false to claim that quantum randomness has been conclusively demonstrated or proved and it is unscientific to assume that there cannot be a more complete theory without such evidence or proof.