Question

What happens if the same seed value is always used for generating random numbers?

Short answer

Answer: Using the same seed value results in the same sequence of random numbers because the pseudo-random number generator algorithm is deterministic, meaning it relies on the seed value to start the generation process. If the seed remains constant, the sequence of random numbers produced will also be constant.

Step-by-step solution

Select a random number generator algorithm

Choose a random number generator algorithm such as the Linear Congruential Generator (LCG), which is commonly used in most programming languages' random number libraries.

Set the seed value

Set a fixed seed value, for example, 5. This seed value is required as input for the random number generator algorithm. Use this same seed value every time you generate random numbers.

Generate the first random number

Use the random number generator algorithm (e.g., LCG) and the seed value to generate the first random number in the sequence. For example, if using the LCG algorithm, the formula is: Random number = (a * seed + c) % m where 'a', 'c', and 'm' are constants, and 'seed' is the seed value. Compute the first random number using the seed value and the chosen formula.

Generate subsequent random numbers

Using the result of the previous random number calculation, repeat the formula to generate the next random number in the sequence. Each time a new random number is generated using the constant seed value and the same algorithm, the same sequence of random numbers will be produced.

Observe the results

By using the same seed value and re-running the program, observe that the sequence of random numbers generated each time remains the same. This is because the random number generator uses a deterministic algorithm that depends on the seed value for its output.