pseudoˈrandom, a. Math.
Also with hyphen.
[f. pseudo- + random a.]
Satisfying one or more statistical tests for randomness but produced by a definite mathematical procedure.
| 1949 Seminar on Sci. Computation, Nov. (Internat. Business Machines) 104/2 A random number c lying between 0 and 1 is selected from a store, or a pseudo⁓random number c lying between 0 and 1 is computed arithmetically. 1954 Jrnl. Assoc. Computing Machinery I. 88 Modern-day usage of high-speed electronic digital computing machines frequently involves the consumption of a very large quantity of random numbers. It is desirable that the machine..be able to manufacture its own random or pseudo-random numbers. 1966 A. Battersby Math. in Managem. vii. 170 For convenience, genuinely random numbers are replaced by ‘pseudo⁓random’ numbers; these are generated by fairly simple calculations which are known to produce strings of numbers indistinguishable in the short run from truly random ones. 1973 Sci. Amer. May 19/1 The recipient of a coded message can then be provided with a generator that operates exactly like the one used to add pseudorandom digits to the original message. |
Hence pseudoˈrandomly adv.
| 1963 IBM Jrnl. Res. & Devel. VII. 233/2 A periodic pseudorandomly generated 256-bit pattern. 1976 New Scientist 3 June 529 Each alarm is interrogated pseudo-randomly every 2–3 seconds and a small PDP8 computer identifies the change of state on a visual display unit. |