boost_1_45_0/libs/random/doc/nondet_random.qbk

[/
 / Copyright (c) 2009 Steven Watanabe
 /
 / Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See
 / accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at
 / http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
]

[section Header <boost/nondet_random.hpp> Synopsis]

  namespace boost {
    class random_device;
  } // namespace boost

[endsect]

[section Class random_device]

[section Synopsis]

  class random_device : noncopyable
  {
  public:
    typedef unsigned int result_type;
    static const bool has_fixed_range = true;
    static const result_type min_value = /* implementation defined */;
    static const result_type max_value = /* implementation defined */;
    result_type min() const;
    result_type max() const;
    explicit random_device(const std::string& token = default_token);
    ~random_device();
    double entropy() const;
    unsigned int operator()();
  };

[endsect]

[section Description]

Class `random_device` models a non-deterministic random number generator. It
uses one or more implementation-defined stochastic processes to generate a
sequence of uniformly distributed non-deterministic random numbers. For those
environments where a non-deterministic random number generator is not
available, class random_device must not be implemented. See

[:"Randomness Recommendations for Security", D. Eastlake, S. Crocker,
J. Schiller, Network Working Group, RFC 1750, December 1994]

for further discussions.

[note Some operating systems abstract the computer hardware enough to make it
difficult to non-intrusively monitor stochastic processes. However, several do
provide a special device for exactly this purpose. It seems to be impossible
to emulate the functionality using Standard C++ only, so users should be aware
that this class may not be available on all platforms.]

[endsect]

[section Members]

  explicit random_device(const std::string& token = default_token)

Effects: Constructs a random_device, optionally using the given token as an
access specification (for example, a URL) to some implementation-defined
service for monitoring a stochastic process. 

  double entropy() const

Returns: An entropy estimate for the random numbers returned by `operator()`,
in the range `min()` to `log2(max()+1)`. A deterministic random number
generator (e.g. a pseudo-random number engine) has entropy 0.

Throws: Nothing. 

[endsect]

Implementation Note for Linux
On the Linux operating system, token is interpreted as a filesystem path. It
is assumed that this path denotes an operating system pseudo-device which
generates a stream of non-deterministic random numbers. The pseudo-device
should never signal an error or end-of-file. Otherwise, std::ios_base::failure
is thrown. By default, random_device uses the /dev/urandom pseudo-device to
retrieve the random numbers. Another option would be to specify the
/dev/random pseudo-device, which blocks on reads if the entropy pool has no
more random bits available.

[endsect]

[section Performance]

The test program nondet_random_speed.cpp measures the execution times of the
nondet_random.hpp implementation of the above algorithms in a tight loop.
The performance has been evaluated on a Pentium Pro 200 MHz with gcc 2.95.2,
Linux 2.2.13, glibc 2.1.2.

[table preformance
  [[class] [time per invocation \[usec\]]]
  [[random_device] [92.0]]
]

The measurement error is estimated at +/- 1 usec.

[endsect]