Random Number Generation

• Random numbers can be used in simple games when the programmer wants a number to be unknown - the programmer themselves won't know what it's going to be
• Most programming Languages have functions to generate random numbers. What is the function that OCR Exam Reference Language uses?

  random(x, y)
• In the function random(x, y) , if the values of x and y are integers , then a random integer will be generated - if x and y are real numbers , then a random real number is generated
• What does the function random(1, 6) do?

  It generates a random integer between 1 and 6
• What does the function random(1.0, 6.0) do?

  It generates a random real number between 1.0 and 6.0
• The code below is an example of how random numbers can be used to simulate a roll of a 6-sided dice. Explain how it works?

  The first line generates either 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 and assigns it the variable 'roll' - The second line prints the number that is randomly generated

  
• FOR loops can be used when you want to generate a whole bunch of random numbers
• The code below uses a FOR loop that will generate 3 random integers from 1 to 10

  
• You can used random numbers to make random selections
• Instead of outputting the random number that you generated, you can use it to randomly generate another event
• The code below simulates a coin toss - there are two outcomes , heads or tails - this can be simplified in programming terms 0 and 1 , where 0 = heads , and 1 = tails

  
• Random numbers are handy to use with arrays - you can generate a random number then pick the element in that position of the array
• The code below uses a random number to select a piece of fruit from the array