Re: random data

From: Mok-Kong Shen (mok-kong.shen_at_t-online.de)
Date: 07/31/03 

Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2003 08:53:06 +0200

"MacGregor K. Phillips" wrote:
>
> "AE" <nospam@hidden.com> wrote in message
> news:3F2644A6.5020900@hidden.com...
> > http://www.csis.hku.hk/~diehard/
> >
>
> Interesting little program once you figure out you cannot use spaces in file
> names.
>
> After you have run all of the 18 tests on a file of random bytes, does the
> final p-value have any real meaning? It says for all the individual tests
> the smaller the p-value the better. So if the final p-value for all 18 tests
> is very small, is this good, bad, or does not have any real meaning in the
> grand scheme of things?

If I don't err, there isn't any document telling a
newcomer how to properly evaluate (interpret) the results
of that test software. It seems that either those who have
done practical work with it (including the software author)
don't bother to share their knowledge with others for
whatever reasons, or (expectedly a less likely case)
nobody really knows how to write such a document.

M. K. Shen

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