Perils of simulation : parallel streams and the case of stata ' s rnormal command, Vol. 1 of 1

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Perils of simulation : parallel streams and the case of stata's rnormal command

Author:	Ozier, Owen;	Collection Title:	Policy Research working paper ; no. WPS 6278
Country:	World;	Date Stored:	2012/11/28
Document Date:	2012/11/01	Document Type:	Policy Research Working Paper
Language:	English	Major Sector:	Education
Rel. Proj ID:	1W-Research On Education And Development -- -- P128582;	Region:	The World Region
Report Number:	WPS6278	Sub Sectors:	General education sector
SubTopics:	Scientific Research & Science Parks; Geographical Information Systems; Crops and Crop Management Systems; Science Education; Statistical & Mathematical Sciences	Volume No:	1 of 1

Summary: Large-scale simulation-based studies rely on at least three properties of pseudorandom number sequences: they behave in many ways like truly random numbers; they can be replicated; and they can be generated in parallel. There has been some divergence, however, between empirical techniques employing random numbers, and the standard battery of tests used to validate them. A random number generator that passes tests for any single stream of random numbers may fail the same tests when it is used to generate multiple streams in parallel. The lack of systematic testing of parallel streams leaves statistical software with important potential vulnerabilities. This paper shows one such vulnerability in Stata's rnormal function that went unnoticed for almost four years, and how to detect it. It then shows practical implications for the use of parallel streams in existing software.


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