Name | Synopsis | Description | See Also | Notes
/usr/ucb/cc [ flag ... ] file ... int rand();
int srand(seed) unsigned seed;
rand() uses a multiplicative congruential random number generator with period 232 to return successive pseudo-random numbers in the range from 0 to 231 - 1.
srand() can be called at any time to reset the random-number generator to a random starting point. The generator is initially seeded with a value of 1.
Use of these interfaces should be restricted to only applications written on BSD platforms. Use of these interfaces with any of the system libraries or in multi-thread applications is unsupported.
The spectral properties of rand() leave a great deal to be desired. drand48(3C) and random(3C) provide much better, though more elaborate, random-number generators.
The low bits of the numbers generated are not very random; use the middle bits. In particular the lowest bit alternates between 0 and 1.
Name | Synopsis | Description | See Also | Notes