1 /*
2  * Copyright (c) 2008, Damien Miller <djm@openbsd.org>
3  *
4  * Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any
5  * purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above
6  * copyright notice and this permission notice appear in all copies.
7  *
8  * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES
9  * WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
10  * MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR
11  * ANY SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES
12  * WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN
13  * ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF
14  * OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
15  */
16 
17 #include <stdint.h>
18 #include <stdlib.h>
19 
20 uint32_t uniform_random(uint32_t);
21 unsigned long prng_uint32(void);
22 
23 /*
24  * Calculate a uniformly distributed random number less than upper_bound
25  * avoiding "modulo bias".
26  *
27  * Uniformity is achieved by generating new random numbers until the one
28  * returned is outside the range [0, 2**32 % upper_bound).  This
29  * guarantees the selected random number will be inside
30  * [2**32 % upper_bound, 2**32) which maps back to [0, upper_bound)
31  * after reduction modulo upper_bound.
32  */
33 uint32_t
34 uniform_random(uint32_t upper_bound)
35 {
36 	uint32_t r, min;
37 
38 	if (upper_bound < 2)
39 		return 0;
40 
41 	/* 2**32 % x == (2**32 - x) % x */
42 	min = -upper_bound % upper_bound;
43 
44 	/*
45 	 * This could theoretically loop forever but each retry has
46 	 * p > 0.5 (worst case, usually far better) of selecting a
47 	 * number inside the range we need, so it should rarely need
48 	 * to re-roll.
49 	 */
50 	for (;;) {
51 		r = (uint32_t)prng_uint32();
52 		if (r >= min)
53 			break;
54 	}
55 
56 	return r % upper_bound;
57 }
58