[Boost-users] Newbie question: Random numbers.

From: chun ping wang (cablepuff_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-05-19 03:55:00

I have a simple question, is there a very fast and effecient way to generate
random numbers that are fast on the fly. The numbers are really randomize
and distorted...

/***************************************************
 * generates a random number between a and b       *
 * @param a the starting range                     *
 * @param b the integer ending range               *
 * @return N such that a <= N <= b                 *
 **************************************************/
template <class T>
T randint(const T& a, const T& b)
{
  BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT(boost::is_integral<T>::value);
  assert (b >= a);
  typedef boost::minstd_rand base_generator_type;
  typedef boost::uniform_int<> distribution_type;
  typedef boost::variate_generator<base_generator_type&, distribution_type>
gen_type;
  base_generator_type generator(boost::numeric_cast<unsigned
long>(clock()));
  gen_type ran_gen(generator, distribution_type(a, b));
  for (int i = 0; i < 30000; ++i)
      generator.seed(boost::numeric_cast<unsigned long>(clock()));
  return ran_gen();
}

This works but is super slow... are there effective ways to do it...

Thanks.