Re: Random array (fwd)

[Jim Gillogly <jim@acm.org>]

I said:
>> One could modify Greg's suggestion slightly by attaching an auxiliary
>> array of 256 random numbers to each of the members of the original
>> array and then using the most efficient handy sort algorithm to sort
>> those random numbers, dragging along their associated original array
>> elements.  This way it doesn't have a chance to interfere with the
>> operation of the sorting algorithm, at the cost of an extra array.

Jim Choate responded:
> If I understand the process. Each array would cycle through in parallel
> sorting 2 elements of each array. Once that was finished we'd then sort the
> arrays themselves according to some process. From your description it seems
> to imply that you're going to sort the 1st element descending at that point.
> This in effect mis-orders each array after every sort.
>
> This sort of system is an IFS and could lead to determinism (ie a cycle of
> sort patterns that repeat endlessly) or chaos (ie a pattern that doesn't
> repeat). It in and of itself doesn't guarantee any randomness merely a
> continously munged sort.

I expressed myself badly.  Steve Gibbons posted a message
to Coderpunks expressing more clearly what I had in mind:
Fill up the high bits of your N words with random numbers and
the low bits with an index from 0 to N-1.  Sort the array, then
mask off the high bits.  If the random numbers were unique, you
are left with a randomly shuffled array.
-- 
	Jim Gillogly
	Trewesday, 9 Blotmath S.R. 1998, 16:48
	12.19.5.11.12, 10 Eb 5 Zac, Seventh Lord of Night