A random number generator for parallel computers

Abstract Running huge simulational computations on a system of parallel processors requires the generation of uniform random sequences on each processor. Various techniques useful for the generation of parallel random sequences are analyzed for their suitability to parallel architectures. An efficient parallelization of the Generalized Feedback Shift Register (GFSR) algorithm for generating pseudorandom numbers is presented. The algorithm works on any parallel computer where the number of processors is a power of two and requires the same amount of memory per processor as required by the sequential GFSR algorithm.

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