RANDOM NUMBER GENERATION

摘要

A method for the generation of one-time sequences of bits of arbitrary length based on the randomness of execution time allotted to threads with different priority inside a digital computer running a multitasking operative system is presented. When two or more processes are running inside a computer or other processor, the time allotted to each task depends on the load of the system at a particular instant in time. The random number generator makes use of the fact that in modern multitasking environments, the resources allocated to a process is a complex function of the state of the processor and operating system at a particular point in time to generate a random sequence of bits of arbitrary length. The random number generator phase executes two processes in parallel with different priorities assigned to them, and counts the number of cycles or iterations they were able to complete. It then compares the two cycle counts and retains the least significant bit of the difference, which is deemed to have an uncertainty of 50%. This is a particular implementation of a more general idea that links the realms of physics and information theory.