What is the random number generator in python and numpy?

Question

import random
import numpy.random

What is the algorithm for random and numpy.random. Usually Mersenne Twister is the default generator for matlab, and there are choice to choose which generator to use. What about python, is there a choice for random generator?

Nils Werner · Accepted Answer · 2016-08-10 09:12:58Z

4

Both cpython random and numpy.random use Mersenne Twister.

Both cpython random and numpy.random use /dev/(u)random on UNIX and CryptGenRandom on Windows for entropy.

Cpython allows to use Wichman Hill as an alternative PRNG, numpy does not (however you can use random.WichmanHill to fill a previously allocated array).

edited Aug 10, 2016 at 9:12

answered Aug 10, 2016 at 9:07

Nils Werner

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2 Comments

an offer can't refuse Over a year ago

Can we change the generator to others?

TheBlackCat Over a year ago

Note that there is work going on to add more random number generators to numpy: github.com/numpy/numpy/issues/6967

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