How can I get the sourcecode for rand() (C++)?

Question

I\'m new to programming.

I want to know exactly what rand() does.

Searching only yields examples on its usage. But none explain each step of how the function

Answer 1

The simplest reasonably good pseudo-random number generators are Linear Congruential Generators (LCGs). These are iterations of a formula such as

X_{n+1} = (a * X_n  +  c) modulo m

The constants a, c, and m are chosen to given unpredictable sequences. X_0 is the random seed value. Many other algorithms exists, but this is probably enough to get you going.

Really good pseudo-random number generators are more complex, such as the Mersenne Twister.