Re: [Boost-users] [random] infinite loop in uniform_real_distribution

Subject: Re: [Boost-users] [random] infinite loop in uniform_real_distribution
From: Steven Watanabe (watanabesj_at_[hidden])
Date: 2013-11-25 17:53:39

AMDG

On 11/25/2013 02:22 PM, Brian Budge wrote:
> 
> You can achieve what you want by generating a random number on [-1, 1]
> and multiplying it by the max float.  I don't think that there is a
> *general* way to arrive at a uniform distribution of a range greater
> than max float by first generating a random number on [0, 1), so it's
> unlikely that the library can be "fixed" to achieve what you want.
> 

It's really quite easy.

if ( max - min == infinity )
{
    divisor = 2;
    min /= divisor;
    max /= divisor;
} else {
    divisor = 1;
}

// compute a value in [min, max) as usual

result *= divisor;

> Another method would be to use double precision generation on the max
> float range, and then convert to float.
> 

In Christ,
Steven Watanabe