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Tandem PRNG

The concept of a tandem PRNG was developed for Monte Carlo simulations of physical processes.  It has been tested over many years with a variety of problems (e.g.  [2], [3]).  A tandem PRNG gives a better statistical spread of random numbers than a simple PRNG and, as such, is well suited to cryptographic purposes.  A tandem PRNG requires two random streams from two seeds.  Before the tandem PRNG can generate random numbers it must be primed.  The first stream of random numbers is used to populate an array variable A such that

A(i) = X1i × 2-56 + 128
12

where A(i) is the ith element of the array and X1i is the ith random number from the first stream. 

The Value of A(i) is always an integer in the range 0 to 255, corresponding to the values required for the register keys.  The addition of 128 is required because the processor treats the unsigned integer value of the seed as a signed integer between -263 and +263 - 1.  The priming process involves only one of the two seeds required to operate the tandem PRNG.  Once the array has been primed with all 256 values, the tandem PRNG operates by using one seed to select the array element to be used for the next random number and the second seed to generate a new value to be entered into the array in place of the one that has just been used.  Mathematically, the random number, ni, is given by:

ni = A( j),  j = X 1i × 2-56 + 128
13

The replacement value is given by:

A( j) = X 2i × 2-56 + 128
14

In (13) and (14), X 1 represents the first random stream and X 2 the second.

[2] L D Howe, D K Ross and A J Allen Molecular Flow in a Model Pore System in Dynamics in Small Confining Systems p23 (Eds J M Drake, J Klafter and R Kopelman) MRS EA-22 1990

[3]L D Howe Studies of Traffic Flow Phenomena Using the VEDENS Computer Code Physica A 246 (1997)