Functions > Statistics > Probability Distributions > Example: Seed for Random Number Generation
Example: Seed for Random Number Generation
Use the Seed function to control the process of generating new sets of random numbers.
1. Use functions Seed and rnorm in a short program to generate identical sets of normally distributed random numbers for three iterations by resetting the Seed value.
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The same set of random numbers is generated each time because the seed is set to 1.
SameNormal returns a matrix of three identical columns, one for each iteration.
2. Use functions hist and max to plot a histogram of the second random set with n_bins bins. Add a horizontal marker to show the maximum of the returned set.
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3. Modify the program to generate three different sets of normally distributed random numbers by incrementing the seed value with each iteration.
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Now that the seed value changes with each iteration, each set of random numbers is unique.
Since iteration=0 of both programs starts with seed=1, column=0 of both returned matrices contain identical sets.
4. Extract the second data set from the returned matrix:
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5. Use function hist to generate a histogram of the random set with n_bins bins, then calculate its maximum.
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6. Plot the histogram and use a horizontal marker to show its maximum:
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