NPAC Technical Report SCCS-746
Tests of random number generators using Ising model simulations
Paul Coddington
Submitted November 9 1995
Abstract
Large-scale Monte Carlo simulations require high-quality random number
generators to ensure correct results. The contrapositive of
this statement is also true -- the quality of random number generators
can be tested by using them in large-scale Monte Carlo simulations.
We have tested many commonly-used random number generators
with high precision Monte Carlo simulations of the 2-d Ising model
using the Metropolis, Swendsen-Wang, and Wolff algorithms.
This work is being extended to the testing of random number generators for
parallel computers.
The results of these tests are presented, along with recommendations for
random number generators for high-performance computers, particularly
for lattice Monte Carlo simulations.