NZ Flag Referendum pseudorandom numbers
Read OriginalThis technical article examines the pseudorandom number generator (PRNG) specified in New Zealand's Flag Referendum Act for breaking ties. It details how the algorithm is almost, but not exactly, the Wichmann-Hill PRNG, points out a deviation that leads to a non-uniform output distribution, and discusses seed generation and a related potential bug in electoral regulations.
Comments
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts!
Browser Extension
Get instant access to AllDevBlogs from your browser
Top of the Week
1
2
Using Browser Apis In React Practical Guide
Jivbcoop
•
2 votes
3
Better react-hook-form Smart Form Components
Maarten Hus
•
2 votes
4
Top picks — 2026 January
Paweł Grzybek
•
1 votes
5
In Praise of –dry-run
Henrik Warne
•
1 votes
6
Deep Learning is Powerful Because It Makes Hard Things Easy - Reflections 10 Years On
Ferenc Huszár
•
1 votes
7
Vibe coding your first iOS app
William Denniss
•
1 votes
8
AGI, ASI, A*I – Do we have all we need to get there?
John D. Cook
•
1 votes
9
Quoting Thariq Shihipar
Simon Willison
•
1 votes
10
Dew Drop – January 15, 2026 (#4583)
Alvin Ashcraft
•
1 votes