4 ms·
Technically, as long as you only have a finite amount of memory, there is only a finite number of states the computer can be in, so the output must repeat event
by comex 6y ago
Technically, as long as you only have a finite amount of memory, there is only a finite number of states the computer can be in, so the output must repeat eventually. Though "eventually" can be long after the heat death of the universe.
- dmurray 6y agoWe normally ignore that technicality. Like when we say adding two numbers is constant-time, or that a computer can simulate a Turing machine.
- comex 6y agoTrue, but in this case, xorshift128+ already maximizes its period by going through every possible state once before repeating. It only has 128 bits of state, but still, the difference between "128 bits" and "all of RAM" is only a constant factor. :) And of course, a period of 2^128 is already more than high enough that it will never repeat in practice.