C Language Random Number Generation Permuted Congruential Generator
Example
Here's a standalone random number generator that doesn't rely on rand() or similar library functions.
Why would you want such a thing? Maybe you don't trust your platform's builtin random number generator, or maybe you want a reproducible source of randomness independent of any particular library implementation.
This code is PCG32 from pcg-random.org, a modern, fast, general-purpose RNG with excellent statistical properties. It's not cryptographically secure, so don't use it for cryptography.
#include <stdint.h>
/* *Really* minimal PCG32 code / (c) 2014 M.E. O'Neill / pcg-random.org
* Licensed under Apache License 2.0 (NO WARRANTY, etc. see website) */
typedef struct { uint64_t state; uint64_t inc; } pcg32_random_t;
uint32_t pcg32_random_r(pcg32_random_t* rng) {
uint64_t oldstate = rng->state;
/* Advance internal state */
rng->state = oldstate * 6364136223846793005ULL + (rng->inc | 1);
/* Calculate output function (XSH RR), uses old state for max ILP */
uint32_t xorshifted = ((oldstate >> 18u) ^ oldstate) >> 27u;
uint32_t rot = oldstate >> 59u;
return (xorshifted >> rot) | (xorshifted << ((-rot) & 31));
}
void pcg32_srandom_r(pcg32_random_t* rng, uint64_t initstate, uint64_t initseq) {
rng->state = 0U;
rng->inc = (initseq << 1u) | 1u;
pcg32_random_r(rng);
rng->state += initstate;
pcg32_random_r(rng);
}
And here's how to call it:
#include <stdio.h>
int main(void) {
pcg32_random_t rng; /* RNG state */
int i;
/* Seed the RNG */
pcg32_srandom_r(&rng, 42u, 54u);
/* Print some random 32-bit integers */
for (i = 0; i < 6; i++)
printf("0x%08x\n", pcg32_random_r(&rng));
return 0;
}
