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Xorshift family pseudo-random number generators have a variety of different internal state sizes.

Let's take one of this family called xorshift1024*.

My question is:

Having xorshift1024* a internal state of 1024-bits, can I generate a block shorter than 1024-bits without having to compute the entire 1024-bits output before the internal state cycles to the next?

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    $\begingroup$ Ummmm, have you looked at the implementation on the wiki page you linked to? That would give you the answer... $\endgroup$
    – poncho
    Dec 11, 2022 at 9:39
  • $\begingroup$ @poncho Yes, but I don't know how to read C code yet. If you know how to answer, I ask to do it, just an "yes" or "not" for me is enough. $\endgroup$
    – phantomcraft
    Dec 11, 2022 at 21:29
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    $\begingroup$ Note: There is a growing caucus that suggests no one should use C/C++ for new applications. Rust is now used in phones and the Linux kernel as a safer alternative. $\endgroup$
    – Paul Uszak
    Dec 12, 2022 at 13:28
  • $\begingroup$ @PaulUszak I like Rust, but honesty, C/C++ is rather portable $\endgroup$
    – phantomcraft
    Dec 12, 2022 at 20:08

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Yes - you virtually always generate a shorter output block than the state. In the case of xorshift1024* you output t * 1181783497276652981 where t is a mangled and iterated variable acting over the internal state array x. That's a 64 bit value, and the return value from that function.

You'll only output state sized blocks for the simplest of this class of generators like xorshift32/64 which feature 32 and 64 bit state sizes respectively.

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