From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Jan 31 03:53:32 2010 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A67CF106566B for ; Sun, 31 Jan 2010 03:53:32 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from j65nko@gmail.com) Received: from mail-bw0-f213.google.com (mail-bw0-f213.google.com [209.85.218.213]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 380E58FC0A for ; Sun, 31 Jan 2010 03:53:32 +0000 (UTC) Received: by bwz5 with SMTP id 5so597100bwz.3 for ; Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:53:31 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:mime-version:received:in-reply-to:references :date:message-id:subject:from:to:cc:content-type; bh=ma9UCdQVEb4RPuOfimkBYmAefBZh6CgMPU816UmH5fw=; b=PjHMQXCd4kKrtYlUaeElUXXtKHjmfA6b2Md8fwNU3QPjbfF5niBrbV7fUNBfTvwuCq t5OPiZrOdInuvyeJOcSJuLhfCfnBHfP2RxTdFTu+C5NMrHoR7EwnchVAWRMr8ULpaQH+ rHc8hK+Fhay2dom1gf/rmAqBz/TI0Toagw5tU= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :cc:content-type; b=p/5KPhlpBcbOxBN02/jKHJAAnaHqZHOaiFF6WJ88fvD1z2+9WZq46PozueRwUukB9/ xYyIOsmzDNxWmOwv2Tq0BeAb0FAtRxOuQakcGwU5vyubdFOa+Kyd0wIL5sfE4ub6Bnvy Z9OTYWPUkXROLnnKAezPKHgSKG/nAsoPpvUjk= MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.204.11.11 with SMTP id r11mr1935341bkr.12.1264910010999; Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:53:30 -0800 (PST) In-Reply-To: <4B64F938.5000605@lazlarlyricon.com> References: <4B64F938.5000605@lazlarlyricon.com> Date: Sun, 31 Jan 2010 04:53:30 +0100 Message-ID: <19861fba1001301953t7c46ee96v68a281458c88b29a@mail.gmail.com> From: J65nko To: Rolf Nielsen Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Cc: FreeBSD Mailing List Subject: Re: Generating normally distributed random numbers. X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 31 Jan 2010 03:53:32 -0000 On Sun, Jan 31, 2010 at 4:30 AM, Rolf Nielsen wrote: > I am working on a project where I have the need to generate normally > distributed random positive integers, preferably unsigned 64 bit (or even > longer if possible) integers. More specifically, I will need the ability to > supply the expected value and the standard deviation for the desired > distribution, so a standard normal distribution will not do. > > Is there anyone out there who knows how to accomplish this? I have no idea > whatsoever, and for all I know there may already be a function that does > this in the math library. I'm quite accomplished when it comes to math, but > strangely I've never programmed computers for it. > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_number_generator#Generation_from_a_probability_distribution refers to two methods.