Generating a repeatable pseudo-random number based coordinates

Question

I need to generate repeatable pseudo random numbers based on a set of coordinates, so that with a given seed, I will always generate the same value for a specific coordinate.

I figured I'd use something like this for the seed:

/* 64bit seed value*/
struct seed_cord {
    uint16 seed;
    uint16 coord_x_int;
    uint16 coord_y_int;
    uint8  coord_x_frac;
    uint8  coord_y_frac;
}

Where coord_x_int is the integer part of the coordinate, and the fraction part is given by coord_x_frac / 0xFF. seed is a randomly pre-determined value.

But I must admit, trying to understand all the intricacies of PRNGs is a little overwhelming. What would be a good generator for what I'm attempting?

I tested out Java's PRNG using using this scheme in a quick groovy script, with the following result:

Obviously, this is hardly decent randomness.

The script I used was:

import java.awt.image.BufferedImage
import javax.imageio.ImageIO

short shortSeed = new Random().next(16) as short

def image = new BufferedImage(512, 512, BufferedImage.TYPE_BYTE_GRAY)
def raster = image.getRaster()

//x
(0..1).each{ x ->
(0..255).each{ xFrac ->
//y
(0..1).each{ y ->
(0..255).each{ yFrac ->

long seed = (shortSeed as long) << 48 |
            (x as long)         << 32 |
            (y as long)         << 16 |
            (xFrac as long)     <<  8 |
            (yFrac as long)

def value = new Random(seed).next(8)
raster.setSample( (x? xFrac+256 : xFrac), (y? yFrac+256 : yFrac), 0 , value)

}}}}

ImageIO.write(image, "PNG", new File("randomCoord.png"))

Answer 1

If you're really only looking at 512x512, then that's uh... 2¹⁸ pixels you're interested in.

There's plenty of space for that kind of population with good ole MD5 (128 bit output).

You can just take the lowest 32 bits for an integer if that's the kind of output you need. Really, any sort of hashing algorithm that has an output space at least as large as an int will do.

Now, you can do all sorts of fun stuff if you're paranoid. Start with a hash of your coordinates, then feed the result into a secure random number generator (java.security.SecureRandom). Then hash it 1000 times with a salt that's your birthday concatenated (x+y) times.

Joking aside, random number generators don't necessarily have wildly varying results based on small variations of the seed. They're designed to have a really, super duper long chain of generated numbers before they start repeating, while having those chains pretty evenly distributed among the number space.

On the other hand, the SecureRandom is designed to have the additional feature of being chaotic in regard to the seed.

Answer 2

You can use encryption for this task, for example AES. Use your seed as the password, struct with coordinates as the data block and encrypt it. The encrypted block will be your random number (you can actually use any part of it). This approach is used in the Fortuna PRNG. The same approach can be used for disk encryption where random access of data is needed (see Random access encryption with AES In Counter mode using Fortuna PRNG:)

Answer 3

Most languages have a PRNG package (or two) that lets you initialize the generator with a specific seed. PRNGs can also often be found as part of a larger cryptographic package; they tend to be a bit stronger than those found in general-purpose libraries.

Answer 4

I would take a program like this one I have created and then modify it to pick coordinates:

REM $DYNAMIC
COMMON SHARED n%, rbuf%, sz%, sw%, p1$
DECLARE SUB initialize ()
DECLARE SUB filbuf ()
DECLARE SUB setup ()
DECLARE FUNCTION Drnd# ()
DECLARE SUB core ()
DECLARE SUB modify ()
DIM SHARED pad1(340) AS STRING * 1
DIM SHARED trnsltr(66) AS STRING * 1 ' translates a 0-67 value into a pad character
DIM SHARED trnslt(255) AS INTEGER  'translates a pad value to 0-67 value -1 if error
DIM SHARED moders(26) AS INTEGER 'modding function prim number array
DIM SHARED moders2(26) AS INTEGER 'modding function prim number array
DIM SHARED ranbuf(1 TO 42) AS DOUBLE 'random number buffer if this is full and rbuf %>0
REM then this buffer is used to get new random values
REM rbuf% holds the index of the next random number to be used
REM subroutine setup loads the prime number table
REM from the data statements to be used
REM as modifiers in two different ways (or more)
REM subroutine initialize primes the pad array with initial values
REM transfering the values from a string into an array then
REM makes the first initial scrambling of this array
REM initializing pad user input phase:
CLS
INPUT "full name of file to be encrypted"; nam1$
INPUT "full name of output file"; nam2$
INPUT "enter password"; p2$
rbuf% = 0
n% = 0: sw% = 0
p3$ = STRING$(341, "Y")
p1$ = "Tfwd+-$wiHEbeMN<wjUHEgwBEGwyIEGWYrg3uehrnnqbwurt+>Hdgefrywre"
p1$ = p2$ + p1$ + p3$
PRINT "hit any key to continue any time after a display and after the graphic display"
p1$ = LEFT$(p1$, 341)
sz% = LEN(p1$)
CALL setup
CALL initialize
CLS
ibfr$ = STRING$(512, 32)
postn& = 1
OPEN nam1$ FOR BINARY AS #1
OPEN nam2$ FOR BINARY AS #2
g& = LOF(1)
max& = g&
sbtrct% = 512
WHILE g& > 0
LOCATE 1, 1
PRINT INT(1000 * ((max& - g&) / max&)) / 10; "% done";
IF g& < 512 THEN
ibfr$ = STRING$(g&, 32)
sbtrct% = g&
END IF
GET #1, postn&, ibfr$
FOR ste% = 1 TO LEN(ibfr$)
geh% = INT(Drnd# * 256)
MID$(ibfr$, ste%, 1) = CHR$(geh% XOR ASC(MID$(ibfr$, ste%, 1)))
NEXT ste%
PUT #2, postn&, ibfr$
postn& = postn& + sbtrct%
g& = g& - sbtrct%
WEND
CLOSE #2
CLOSE #1
PRINT "hit any key to exit"
i$ = ""
WHILE i$ = "": i$ = INKEY$: WEND
SYSTEM
END
DATA 3,5,7,9,11,13,17,19
DATA 23,29,33,37,43,47
DATA 53,59,67,71,73,79,83
DATA 89,91,97,101,107,109
DATA 43,45,60,62,36

REM $STATIC
SUB core
REM shuffling algorythinm
FOR a% = 0 TO 339
m% = (a% + 340) MOD 341: bez% = trnslt(ASC(pad1(340)))
IF n% MOD 3 = 0 THEN pad1(340) = trnsltr((2 * trnslt(ASC(pad1(a%))) + 67 -   trnslt(ASC(pad1(m%)))) MOD 67)
IF n% MOD 3 = 1 THEN pad1(340) = trnsltr((2 * (67 - trnslt(ASC(pad1(a%)))) + 67 - trnslt(ASC(pad1(m%)))) MOD 67)
IF n% MOD 3 = 2 THEN pad1(340) = trnsltr(((2 * trnslt(ASC(pad1(a%))) + 67 - trnslt(ASC(pad1(m%)))) + moders(n% MOD 27)) MOD 67)
pad1(a% + 1) = pad1(m%): n% = (n% + 1) MOD 32767
pad1(a%) = trnsltr((bez% + trnslt(ASC(pad1(m%)))) MOD 67)
NEXT a%
sw% = (sw% + 1) MOD 32767
END SUB

FUNCTION Drnd#
IF rbuf% = 0 THEN
CALL core
CALL filbuf
IF sw% = 32767 THEN CALL modify
END IF
IF rbuf% > 0 THEN yut# = ranbuf(rbuf%)
rbuf% = rbuf% - 1
Drnd# = yut#
END FUNCTION

SUB filbuf
q% = 42: temp# = 0
WHILE q% > 0
FOR p% = 1 TO 42
k% = (p% - 1) * 8
FOR e% = k% TO k% + 7
temp# = temp# * 67: hug# = ABS(trnslt(ASC(pad1(e%)))): temp# = temp# + hug#
NEXT e%
IF temp# / (67 ^ 8) >= 0 AND q% < 43 THEN
ranbuf(q%) = temp# / (67 ^ 8): q% = q% - 1
END IF
temp# = 0
NEXT p%
WEND
rbuf% = 42
END SUB

SUB initialize
FOR a% = 0 TO 340
pad1(a%) = MID$(p1$, a% + 1, 1)
NEXT a%
FOR a% = 0 TO 340
LOCATE 1, 1
IF a% MOD 26 = 0 THEN PRINT INT((340 - a%) / 26)
sum% = 0
FOR b% = 0 TO 340
qn% = INT(Drnd# * 81)
op% = INT(qn% / 3)
qn% = qn% MOD 3
IF qn% = 0 THEN sum% = sum% + trnslt(ASC(pad1(b%)))
IF qn% = 1 THEN sum% = sum% + (67 + 66 - trnslt(ASC(pad1(b%)))) MOD 67
IF qn% = 2 THEN sum% = sum% + trnslt(ASC(pad1(b%))) + moders(op%)
NEXT b%
pad1(a%) = trnsltr(sum% MOD 67)
NEXT a%
n% = n% + 1
END SUB

SUB modify
REM modifier shuffling routine
q% = 26
temp# = 0
WHILE q% > -1
FOR p% = 1 TO 27
k% = (p% - 1) * 4 + 3
FOR e% = k% TO k% + 3
temp# = temp# * 67
hug# = ABS(trnslt(ASC(pad1(e%))))
temp# = temp# + hug#
NEXT e%
IF (temp# / (67 ^ 4)) >= 0 AND q% > -1 THEN
SWAP moders(q%), moders(INT(27 * (temp# / (67 ^ 4))))
q% = q% - 1
END IF
temp# = 0
NEXT p%
WEND
END SUB

SUB setup
FOR a% = 0 TO 26
READ moders(a%)
moders2(a%) = moders(a%)
NEXT a%
REM setting up tables and modder functions
FOR a% = 0 TO 25
trnsltr(a%) = CHR$(a% + 97)
trnsltr(a% + 26) = CHR$(a% + 65)
NEXT a%
FOR a% = 52 TO 61
trnsltr(a%) = CHR$(a% - 4)
NEXT a%
FOR a% = 62 TO 66
READ b%
trnsltr(a%) = CHR$(b%)
NEXT a%
FOR a% = 0 TO 255
trnslt(a%) = -1
NEXT a%
FOR a% = 0 TO 66
trnslt(ASC(trnsltr(a%))) = a%
NEXT a%
RESTORE
END SUB

the call to drand# gives you random numbers from 0 to 1 simply multiply that by your needed range for each vector needed p2$ is the password that is passed to the password handler which combines it with some other random characters and then caps the size to a certain limit p1$ is where the final modified password is contained drand# itself calls another sub which is actually a clone of itself with some shuffling of sorts that works to ensure that the numbers being produced are truly random there is also a table of values that are added in to the values being added all this in total makes the RNG many many more times random with than without.

this RNG has a very high sensitivity to slight differences in password initially set you must however make an intial call to setup and initialize to "bootstrap" the random number generator this RNG will produce Truly random numbers that will pass all tests of randomness more random even then shuffling a deck of cards by hand , more random than rolling a dice.. hope this helps using the same password will result in the same sequnece of vectors

This program would have to be modified a bit though to pick random vectors rather than it's current use as a secure encryption random number generator...