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There are two ways that computers can generate random numbers: You can create some sort of device that monitors a completely random natural event and sends its results to the computer. For example, you could place a piece of radioactive material in front of a Geiger counter and connect the Geiger counter to a computer. Since radioactive decay is random, the Geiger counter would create truly random numbers. This approach is pretty rare, because not many people have Geiger counters connected to their machines.
You can create a formula that generates a pseudo-random number. When designing the formula, the idea is for it to produce a string of numbers that would look random to anyone who did not know what the formula is. Characteristics of a good formula include:
No repetition: The sequence does not cycle around and repeat itself.
Good numeric distribution: If the formula is producing random numbers between 0 and 9, the number of zeros, ones, twos, etc. that it produces should be roughly equal over a long period of time.
Lack of predictability: You have no way to predict what the next number will be unless you know the formula and the seed (the initial value).
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