Seedable JavaScript random number generator

One option is http://davidbau.com/seedrandom which is a seedable RC4-based Math.random() drop-in replacement with nice properties.

If you don't need the seeding capability just use Math.random() and build helper functions around it (eg. randRange(start, end)).

I'm not sure what RNG you're using, but it's best to know and document it so you're aware of its characteristics and limitations.

Like Starkii said, Mersenne Twister is a good PRNG, but it isn't easy to implement. If you want to do it yourself try implementing a LCG - it's very easy, has decent randomness qualities (not as good as Mersenne Twister), and you can use some of the popular constants.

EDIT: consider the great options at this answer for short seedable RNG implementations, including an LCG option.

function RNG(seed) {
  // LCG using GCC's constants
  this.m = 0x80000000; // 2**31;
  this.a = 1103515245;
  this.c = 12345;

  this.state = seed ? seed : Math.floor(Math.random() * (this.m - 1));
}
RNG.prototype.nextInt = function() {
  this.state = (this.a * this.state + this.c) % this.m;
  return this.state;
}
RNG.prototype.nextFloat = function() {
  // returns in range [0,1]
  return this.nextInt() / (this.m - 1);
}
RNG.prototype.nextRange = function(start, end) {
  // returns in range [start, end): including start, excluding end
  // can't modulu nextInt because of weak randomness in lower bits
  var rangeSize = end - start;
  var randomUnder1 = this.nextInt() / this.m;
  return start + Math.floor(randomUnder1 * rangeSize);
}
RNG.prototype.choice = function(array) {
  return array[this.nextRange(0, array.length)];
}

var rng = new RNG(20);
for (var i = 0; i < 10; i++)
  console.log(rng.nextRange(10, 50));

var digits = ['0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9'];
for (var i = 0; i < 10; i++)
  console.log(rng.choice(digits));

If you want to be able to specify the seed, you just need to replace the calls to getSeconds() and getMinutes(). You could pass in an int and use half of it mod 60 for the seconds value and the other half modulo 60 to give you the other part.

That being said, this method looks like garbage. Doing proper random number generation is very hard. The obvious problem with this is that the random number seed is based on seconds and minutes. To guess the seed and recreate your stream of random numbers only requires trying 3600 different second and minute combinations. It also means that there are only 3600 different possible seeds. This is correctable, but I'd be suspicious of this RNG from the start.

If you want to use a better RNG, try the Mersenne Twister. It is a well tested and fairly robust RNG with a huge orbit and excellent performance.

EDIT: I really should be correct and refer to this as a Pseudo Random Number Generator or PRNG.

"Anyone who uses arithmetic methods to produce random numbers is in a state of sin."
                                                                                                                                                          --- John von Neumann

The code you listed kind of looks like a Lehmer RNG. If this is the case, then 2147483647 is the largest 32-bit signed integer, 2147483647 is the largest 32-bit prime, and 48271 is a full-period multiplier that is used to generate the numbers.

If this is true, you could modify RandomNumberGenerator to take in an extra parameter seed, and then set this.seed to seed; but you'd have to be careful to make sure the seed would result in a good distribution of random numbers (Lehmer can be weird like that) -- but most seeds will be fine.

Here is quite an effective but simple javascript PRNG function that I like to use:

// The seed is the base number that the function works off
// The modulo is the highest number that the function can return

function PRNG(seed, modulo) {
    str = `${(2**31-1&Math.imul(48271,seed))/2**31}`
    .split('')
    .slice(-10)
    .join('') % modulo

    return str
}

I hope this is what you're looking for.

Thank you, @aaaaaaaaaaaa (Accepted Answer)

I really needed a good non-library solution (easier to embed)

so... i made this class to store the seed and allow a Unity-esque "Next" ... but kept the initial Integer based results

class randS {
    constructor(seed=null) {
        if(seed!=null) {
            this.seed = seed;
        } else {
            this.seed = Date.now()%4645455524863;
        }
        this.next = this.SeedRandom(this.seed);
        this.last = 0;
    }
    Init(seed=this.seed) {
        if (seed = this.seed) {
            this.next = this.SeedRandom(this.seed);
        } else {
            this.seed=seed;
            this.next = this.SeedRandom(this.seed);
        }
    }
    SeedRandom(state1,state2){
        var mod1=4294967087;
        var mod2=4294965887;
        var mul1=65539;
        var mul2=65537;
        if(typeof state1!="number"){
            state1=+new Date();
        }
        if(typeof state2!="number"){
            state2=state1;
        }
        state1=state1%(mod1-1)+1;
        state2=state2%(mod2-1)+1;
        function random(limit){
            state1=(state1*mul1)%mod1;
            state2=(state2*mul2)%mod2;
            if(state1<limit && state2<limit && state1<mod1%limit && state2<mod2%limit){
                this.last = random;
                return random(limit);
            }
            this.last = (state1+state2)%limit;
            return (state1+state2)%limit;
        }
        this.last = random;
        return random;

    }
}

And then checked it with these... seems to work well with random (but queryable) seed value (a la Minecraft) and even stored the last value returned (if needed)

var rng = new randS(9005646549);
console.log(rng.next(20)+' '+rng.next(20)+' '+rng.next(20)+' '+rng.next(20)+' '+rng.next(20)+' '+rng.next(20)+' '+rng.next(20));
console.log(rng.next(20) + ' ' + rng.next(20) + ' ' + rng.last);

which should output (for everybody)

6 7 8 14 1 12 6
9 1 1

EDIT: I made the init() work if you ever needed to reseed, or were testing values (this was necessary in my context as well)

OK, here's the solution I settled on.

First you create a seed value using the "newseed()" function. Then you pass the seed value to the "srandom()" function. Lastly, the "srandom()" function returns a pseudo random value between 0 and 1.

The crucial bit is that the seed value is stored inside an array. If it were simply an integer or float, the value would get overwritten each time the function were called, since the values of integers, floats, strings and so forth are stored directly in the stack versus just the pointers as in the case of arrays and other objects. Thus, it's possible for the value of the seed to remain persistent.

Finally, it is possible to define the "srandom()" function such that it is a method of the "Math" object, but I'll leave that up to you to figure out. ;)

Good luck!

JavaScript:

// Global variables used for the seeded random functions, below.
var seedobja = 1103515245
var seedobjc = 12345
var seedobjm = 4294967295 //0x100000000

// Creates a new seed for seeded functions such as srandom().
function newseed(seednum)
{
    return [seednum]
}

// Works like Math.random(), except you provide your own seed as the first argument.
function srandom(seedobj)
{
    seedobj[0] = (seedobj[0] * seedobja + seedobjc) % seedobjm
    return seedobj[0] / (seedobjm - 1)
}

// Store some test values in variables.
var my_seed_value = newseed(230951)
var my_random_value_1 = srandom(my_seed_value)
var my_random_value_2 = srandom(my_seed_value)
var my_random_value_3 = srandom(my_seed_value)

// Print the values to console. Replace "WScript.Echo()" with "alert()" if inside a Web browser.
WScript.Echo(my_random_value_1)
WScript.Echo(my_random_value_2)
WScript.Echo(my_random_value_3)

Lua 4 (my personal target environment):

-- Global variables used for the seeded random functions, below.
seedobja = 1103515.245
seedobjc = 12345
seedobjm = 4294967.295 --0x100000000

-- Creates a new seed for seeded functions such as srandom().
function newseed(seednum)
    return {seednum}
end

-- Works like random(), except you provide your own seed as the first argument.
function srandom(seedobj)
    seedobj[1] = mod(seedobj[1] * seedobja + seedobjc, seedobjm)
    return seedobj[1] / (seedobjm - 1)
end

-- Store some test values in variables.
my_seed_value = newseed(230951)
my_random_value_1 = srandom(my_seed_value)
my_random_value_2 = srandom(my_seed_value)
my_random_value_3 = srandom(my_seed_value)

-- Print the values to console.
print(my_random_value_1)
print(my_random_value_2)
print(my_random_value_3)