Standard C Library Functions                             rand(3C)

NAME
     rand, srand, rand_r - simple random-number generator

SYNOPSIS
     #include <stdlib.h>

     int rand(void);

     void srand(unsigned int seed);

     int rand_r(unsigned int *seed);

DESCRIPTION
     The  rand()  function  uses  a  multiplicative  congruential
     random-number  generator with period 2**32 that returns suc-
     cessive pseudo-random numbers in the range of 0 to  RAND_MAX
     (defined in <stdlib.h>).

     The  srand() function uses the argument seed as a seed for a
     new sequence of pseudo-random numbers to be returned by sub-
     sequent calls to rand().  If srand() is then called with the
     same  seed value, the sequence of pseudo-random numbers will
     be repeated.  If  rand()  is  called  before  any  calls  to
     srand()  have been made, the same sequence will be generated
     as when srand() is first called with a seed value of 1.

     The rand_r() function has the same functionality  as  rand()
     except  that  a  pointer to a seed  seed must be supplied by
     the caller. The seed to be supplied is not the same seed  as
     in srand().

USAGE
     The  spectral  properties  of  rand()  are   limited.    The
     drand48(3C)  function  provides  a  better,  more  elaborate
     random-number generator.

ATTRIBUTES
     See attributes(5) for descriptions of the  following  attri-
     butes:

     ____________________________________________________________
    |       ATTRIBUTE TYPE        |       ATTRIBUTE VALUE       |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|
    | MT-Level                    | See NOTES below.            |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|

SEE ALSO
     drand48(3C), attributes(5)

NOTES

SunOS 5.8           Last change: 29 Dec 1996                    1

Standard C Library Functions                             rand(3C)

     The rand_r() function is as proposed in the  POSIX.4a  Draft
     #6  document,  and is subject to change to be compliant with
     the standard when it is accepted.

     The rand() is unsafe  in  multithreaded  applications.   The
     rand_r()  function  is  MT-Safe, and should be used instead.
     The srand() function is  unsafe  in  multithreaded  applica-
     tions.

     When compiling multithreaded applications,  the   _REENTRANT
     flag  must be defined on the compile line.  This flag should
     only be used in multithreaded applications.

SunOS 5.8           Last change: 29 Dec 1996                    2