[Numpy-discussion] NEP: Random Number Generator Policy

[Robert Kern]

On Sun, Jun 3, 2018 at 6:01 PM <josef.pktd at gmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> On Sun, Jun 3, 2018 at 8:36 PM, Robert Kern <robert.kern at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Sun, Jun 3, 2018 at 4:35 PM Eric Wieser <wieser.eric+numpy at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> You make a bunch of good points refuting reproducible research as an
>>> argument for not changing the random number streams.
>>>
>>> However, there’s a second use-case you don’t address - unit tests. For
>>> better or worse, downstream, or even our own
>>> <https://github.com/numpy/numpy/blob/c4813a9/numpy/core/tests/test_multiarray.py#L5093-L5108>,
>>> unit tests use a seeded random number generator as a shorthand to produce
>>> some arbirary array, and then hard-code the expected output in their tests.
>>> Breaking stream compatibility will break these tests.
>>>
>> By the way, the reason that I didn't mention this use case as a
>> motivation in the Status Quo section because, as I reviewed my mail
>> archive, this wasn't actually a motivating use case for the policy. It's
>> certainly a use case that developed once we did make these
>> (*cough*extravagant*cough*) guarantees, though, as people started to rely
>> on it, and I hope that my StableRandom proposal addresses it to your
>> satisfaction. I could add some more details about that history if you
>> think it would be useful.
>>
>
> I don't think that's accurate.
> The unit tests for stable random numbers were added when Enthought
> silently changed the normal random numbers and we got messages from users
> that the unit tests fail and they cannot reproduce our results.
>
> 6/12/10
> [SciPy-Dev] seeded randn gets different values on osx
>
> (I don't find an online copy, this is from my own mail archive)
>

The policy was in place Nov 2008.

-- 
Robert Kern
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