RNG, or Random Number Generator, is an algorithm producing random number sequences. Essentially, if you use an RNG algorithm, you make sure that the numbers produced are completely random, meaning they cannot be predicted.
Although it is applied in countless industries and sectors, RNG remains a mystery to most mortals – and we are looking to change that now. Let’s see where RNG is used and for what purposes.
Starting with Security
Where can we find RNG? The answer to this seemingly easy question is seemingly easy to answer, as well. Random number generation is applied almost everywhere. Every area which requires the production of unpredictable numbers uses RNG algorithms to achieve the desired results. Anything remotely related to statistics employs random number generators.
It is a common misconception that RNG is related only to IT. Sure, it has found its purpose in many areas of computer science, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. RNG is everywhere.
In the modern world guided by technology, RNGs are necessary to guarantee security of the results. One example would be the automatic generation of a password your browser might offer you during registering on a website. You can also do this on your own, by visiting generator sites which automatically create strong passwords you only need to copy and paste where needed.
The Nature Is the Key
The very nature of RNG, the unpredictability of the sequence, is how companies worldwide offer security. In plain English, RNG is 100% random, meaning no one can assume or cheat by tempering with upcoming sequences. The sequence is unbreakable – which guarantees the safety of the data you are looking to protect or generate.
Therefore, we can safely say RNGs are the key guardians of modern fortresses – they are what makes a study, experiment, or a regular social media account safe and impregnable. Every single study or project which relies on several factors but requires valid results will need RNG data.
But can we truly say that something is random? And if we can, how sure we are that it is 100% random? This might sound like a funny question, but it is anything but. This very question has plagued scientists for decades before Dr Mads Haahr from Dublin’s Trinity College developed the site Random.org. The randomness generated on-site stems from atmospheric noise, which is taken as the seed for the generation of a string of sequences which then can be used as RNG data. Today, the site is used by anyone with access to the internet in need of an unpredictable number or sequence of numbers. One such example is the entire IT industry.
The IT Industry and Data
One of the sectors which has achieved great results using RNG is IT. Computer sciences consist of a complex network of inter-connected areas and fields of study which require randomization and unpredictability. The use is also dictated according to the degree of unpredictability – for instance, not all executed operations require total randomness. In some areas, like computer programming, the introduction of pseudorandom numbers enabled a wide array of options both for developers and the users. Amortized searching, sorting algorithms, and hash algorithms all use ‘weaker’ forms of RNG. But computers are deterministic machines, so they cannot generate true randomness on their own.
Random.org helps with the generation of unpredictable sequences in numerous ways – from cryptography to password generation. Computer programs are developed via pseudorandom numbers, but any type of computer simulation requires a completely unpredictable sequence of digits.
Testing apps, generating random content online like quotes of the day, statistical analyses of predictability, and machine learning are all instances where RNG is used. And that is just the start.
Scientific Research
Scientists do not believe in coincidences. The most extreme theory many of them believe in is that the entire world, and the universe, works in RNG mode. Simply put, to them, everything should be a string of randomly generated sequences of events.
But, accepting and/or achieving total randomness is not in our nature. So, when you have an important study, you are not going to rely on the human mind which could produce random numbers or data which could be used for the study. You are not going to use the computer too – but rather a randomization generator which could produce data which passed the randomness tests.
This is critical for medical research, where clinical trials greatly depend on the use of randomization for producing objective and unpredictable results which cannot be tempered with.
Testing new drugs, implementing new methods, and clinical trials are just some of the examples of the uses of RNG in medicine.
Besides healthcare and IT, you can find RNG in art, music, economy, marketing, and technology. Scientists use it for research, testing, and application of nearly every innovative product they are attempting to implement. The financial industry, accounting, and banking are just some of the areas which use random number generation for various purposes as well. However, RNG is the core of one more industry – the industry of online gambling.
RNG & Online Gambling
One of the biggest uses of RNG is noted in the online gambling sector. Random number generators are essentially what holds the entire enterprise in check – in other words, it’s what guarantees fairness and unpredictability of each outcome inside those gambling games. Online slots, as one of the most popular categories, employ RNG as a guarantee to the players that the game in question will produce a fair sequence which no one predict every single time a player starts a new round.
The security guaranteed by RNG goes both ways. The game providers and casinos are certain that players cannot cheat during the game, while players can rest assured the game is not rigged. And in gambling, not being rigged is the number one priority for all parties involved.
To learn more about RNG in online slots and how they managed to create fair and secure online slots games, you can visit the site called Videoslot.com. The site is focused on video slots, how they work, how to play them, and all the science behind each release. Video Slot is a superb source of information about slot mechanics, features, and similarly interesting details.
Conclusion
Everyone chooses to believe in coincidences – they might exist, or they might not. But the fact remains that the world needs randomness, especially if we are to claim something is fair and secure.
Random number generation, thanks to its unpredictable sequence generation, does exactly that. It guarantees unpredictability, maintaining security of each sequence you intend to generate. And it is used everywhere – from the quote of the day you see when you open your browser, to the complex numbers used for clinical trials and IT research. From science to art, randomness is necessary.
