28 Numerics library [numerics]

28.5 Random number generation [rand]

28.5.7 Class random_device [rand.device]

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A random_device uniform random bit generator produces nondeterministic random numbers.
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If implementation limitations prevent generating nondeterministic random numbers, the implementation may employ a random number engine.
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namespace std { class random_device { public: // types using result_type = unsigned int; // generator characteristics static constexpr result_type min() { return numeric_limits<result_type>::min(); } static constexpr result_type max() { return numeric_limits<result_type>::max(); } // constructors random_device() : random_device(implementation-defined) {} explicit random_device(const string& token); // generating functions result_type operator()(); // property functions double entropy() const noexcept; // no copy functions random_device(const random_device&) = delete; void operator=(const random_device&) = delete; }; }
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explicit random_device(const string& token);
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Throws: A value of an implementation-defined type derived from exception if the random_device cannot be initialized.
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Remarks: The semantics of the token parameter and the token value used by the default constructor are implementation-defined.227
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double entropy() const noexcept;
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Returns: If the implementation employs a random number engine, returns 0.0.
Otherwise, returns an entropy estimate228 for the random numbers returned by operator(), in the range min() to .
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result_type operator()();
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Returns: A nondeterministic random value, uniformly distributed between min() and max() (inclusive).
It is implementation-defined how these values are generated.
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Throws: A value of an implementation-defined type derived from exception if a random number cannot be obtained.
227)227)
The parameter is intended to allow an implementation to differentiate between different sources of randomness.
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If a device has n states whose respective probabilities are , the device entropy S is defined as
.