Question

I need a Random Number Generator that produces same sequence of numbers both in iOS and Android if we give the same Seed in both.

I tried the rand() function with the srand(1000). But it gave different outputs.
Then I tried mersenne twister. But that too gave difference sequence for same seed.

Could any one please help me on this.

I am using cocos2d-x for my development.

Answer 1

I have adapted an online CRandomMersenne library and I am really sorry I can no longer find the source for that one. But here is my Mersenne Twister implementation:

// Define 32 bit signed and unsigned integers.
// Change these definitions, if necessary, to match a particular platform
#if defined(_WIN16) || defined(__MSDOS__) || defined(_MSDOS) 
   // 16 bit systems use long int for 32 bit integer
   typedef long int           int32;   // 32 bit signed integer
   typedef unsigned long int  uint32;  // 32 bit unsigned integer
#else
   // Most other systems use int for 32 bit integer
   typedef int                int32;   // 32 bit signed integer
   typedef unsigned int       uint32;  // 32 bit unsigned integer
#endif

// Define 64 bit signed and unsigned integers, if possible
#if (defined(__WINDOWS__) || defined(_WIN32)) && (defined(_MSC_VER) || defined(__INTEL_COMPILER))
   // Microsoft and other compilers under Windows use __int64
   typedef __int64            int64;   // 64 bit signed integer
   typedef unsigned __int64   uint64;  // 64 bit unsigned integer
   #define INT64_DEFINED               // Remember that int64 is defined
#elif defined(__unix__) && (defined(_M_IX86) || defined(_M_X64))
   // Gnu and other compilers under Linux etc. use long long
   typedef long long          int64;   // 64 bit signed integer
   typedef unsigned long long uint64;  // 64 bit unsigned integer
   #define INT64_DEFINED               // Remember that int64 is defined
#else
   // 64 bit integers not defined
   // You may include definitions for other platforms here
#endif

void EndOfProgram(void);               // System-specific exit code (userintf.cpp)

void FatalError(char * ErrorText);     // System-specific error reporting (userintf.cpp)

class CRandomMersenne {                // Encapsulate random number generator
#if 0
   // Define constants for type MT11213A:
#define MERS_N   351
#define MERS_M   175
#define MERS_R   19
#define MERS_U   11
#define MERS_S   7
#define MERS_T   15
#define MERS_L   17
#define MERS_A   0xE4BD75F5
#define MERS_B   0x655E5280
#define MERS_C   0xFFD58000
#else    
   // or constants for type MT19937:
#define MERS_N   624
#define MERS_M   397
#define MERS_R   31
#define MERS_U   11
#define MERS_S   7
#define MERS_T   15
#define MERS_L   18
#define MERS_A   0x9908B0DF
#define MERS_B   0x9D2C5680
#define MERS_C   0xEFC60000
#endif
public:
   CRandomMersenne(uint32 seed) {      // Constructor
      RandomInit(seed); LastInterval = 0;}
   void RandomInit(uint32 seed);       // Re-seed
   void RandomInitByArray(uint32 seeds[], int length); // Seed by more than 32 bits
   int IRandom (int min, int max);     // Output random integer
   int IRandomX(int min, int max);     // Output random integer, exact
   double Random();                    // Output random float
   uint32 BRandom();                   // Output random bits
private:
   void Init0(uint32 seed);            // Basic initialization procedure
   uint32 mt[MERS_N];                  // State vector
   int mti;                            // Index into mt
   uint32 LastInterval;                // Last interval length for IRandomX
   uint32 RLimit;                      // Rejection limit used by IRandomX
   enum TArch {LITTLE_ENDIAN1, BIG_ENDIAN1, NONIEEE}; // Definition of architecture
   TArch Architecture;                 // Conversion to float depends on architecture
};    


class CRandomMother {             // Encapsulate random number generator
public:
   void RandomInit(uint32 seed);       // Initialization
   int IRandom(int min, int max);      // Get integer random number in desired interval
   double Random();                    // Get floating point random number
   uint32 BRandom();                   // Output random bits
   CRandomMother(uint32 seed) {   // Constructor
      RandomInit(seed);}
protected:
   uint32 x[5];                        // History buffer
};

#endif

void CRandomMersenne::Init0(uint32 seed) {
   // Detect computer architecture
   union {double f; uint32 i[2];} convert;
   convert.f = 1.0;
   if (convert.i[1] == 0x3FF00000) Architecture = LITTLE_ENDIAN1;
   else if (convert.i[0] == 0x3FF00000) Architecture = BIG_ENDIAN1;
   else Architecture = NONIEEE;

   // Seed generator
   mt[0]= seed;
   for (mti=1; mti < MERS_N; mti++) {
      mt[mti] = (1812433253UL * (mt[mti-1] ^ (mt[mti-1] >> 30)) + mti);
   }
}

void CRandomMersenne::RandomInit(uint32 seed) {
   // Initialize and seed
   Init0(seed);

   // Randomize some more
   for (int i = 0; i < 37; i++) BRandom();
}


void CRandomMersenne::RandomInitByArray(uint32 seeds[], int length) {
   // Seed by more than 32 bits
   int i, j, k;

   // Initialize
   Init0(19650218);

   if (length <= 0) return;

   // Randomize mt[] using whole seeds[] array
   i = 1;  j = 0;
   k = (MERS_N > length ? MERS_N : length);
   for (; k; k--) {
      mt[i] = (mt[i] ^ ((mt[i-1] ^ (mt[i-1] >> 30)) * 1664525UL)) + seeds[j] + j;
      i++; j++;
      if (i >= MERS_N) {mt[0] = mt[MERS_N-1]; i=1;}
      if (j >= length) j=0;}
   for (k = MERS_N-1; k; k--) {
      mt[i] = (mt[i] ^ ((mt[i-1] ^ (mt[i-1] >> 30)) * 1566083941UL)) - i;
      if (++i >= MERS_N) {mt[0] = mt[MERS_N-1]; i=1;}}
   mt[0] = 0x80000000UL;  // MSB is 1; assuring non-zero initial array

   // Randomize some more
   mti = 0;
   for (int i = 0; i <= MERS_N; i++) BRandom();
}


uint32 CRandomMersenne::BRandom() {
   // Generate 32 random bits
   uint32 y;

   if (mti >= MERS_N) {
      // Generate MERS_N words at one time
      const uint32 LOWER_MASK = (1LU << MERS_R) - 1;       // Lower MERS_R bits
      const uint32 UPPER_MASK = 0xFFFFFFFF << MERS_R;      // Upper (32 - MERS_R) bits
      static const uint32 mag01[2] = {0, MERS_A};

      int kk;
      for (kk=0; kk < MERS_N-MERS_M; kk++) {    
         y = (mt[kk] & UPPER_MASK) | (mt[kk+1] & LOWER_MASK);
         mt[kk] = mt[kk+MERS_M] ^ (y >> 1) ^ mag01[y & 1];}

      for (; kk < MERS_N-1; kk++) {    
         y = (mt[kk] & UPPER_MASK) | (mt[kk+1] & LOWER_MASK);
         mt[kk] = mt[kk+(MERS_M-MERS_N)] ^ (y >> 1) ^ mag01[y & 1];}      

      y = (mt[MERS_N-1] & UPPER_MASK) | (mt[0] & LOWER_MASK);
      mt[MERS_N-1] = mt[MERS_M-1] ^ (y >> 1) ^ mag01[y & 1];
      mti = 0;
   }

   y = mt[mti++];

#if 1
   // Tempering (May be omitted):
   y ^=  y >> MERS_U;
   y ^= (y << MERS_S) & MERS_B;
   y ^= (y << MERS_T) & MERS_C;
   y ^=  y >> MERS_L;
#endif

   return y;
}


double CRandomMersenne::Random() {
   // Output random float number in the interval 0 <= x < 1
   union {double f; uint32 i[2];} convert;
   uint32 r = BRandom();               // Get 32 random bits
   // The fastest way to convert random bits to floating point is as follows:
   // Set the binary exponent of a floating point number to 1+bias and set
   // the mantissa to random bits. This will give a random number in the 
   // interval [1,2). Then subtract 1.0 to get a random number in the interval
   // [0,1). This procedure requires that we know how floating point numbers
   // are stored. The storing method is tested in function RandomInit and saved 
   // in the variable Architecture.

   // This shortcut allows the compiler to optimize away the following switch
   // statement for the most common architectures:
#if defined(_M_IX86) || defined(_M_X64) || defined(__LITTLE_ENDIAN__)
   Architecture = LITTLE_ENDIAN1;
#elif defined(__BIG_ENDIAN__)
   Architecture = BIG_ENDIAN1;
#endif

   switch (Architecture) {
   case LITTLE_ENDIAN1:
      convert.i[0] =  r << 20;
      convert.i[1] = (r >> 12) | 0x3FF00000;
      return convert.f - 1.0;
   case BIG_ENDIAN1:
      convert.i[1] =  r << 20;
      convert.i[0] = (r >> 12) | 0x3FF00000;
      return convert.f - 1.0;
   case NONIEEE: default: ;
   } 
   // This somewhat slower method works for all architectures, including 
   // non-IEEE floating point representation:
   return (double)r * (1./((double)(uint32)(-1L)+1.));
}


int CRandomMersenne::IRandom(int min, int max) {
   // Output random integer in the interval min <= x <= max
   // Relative error on frequencies < 2^-32
   if (max <= min) {
      if (max == min) return min; else return 0x80000000;
   }
   // Multiply interval with random and truncate
   int r = int((max - min + 1) * Random()) + min; 
   if (r > max) r = max;
   return r;
}


int CRandomMersenne::IRandomX(int min, int max) {
   // Output random integer in the interval min <= x <= max
   // Each output value has exactly the same probability.
   // This is obtained by rejecting certain bit values so that the number
   // of possible bit values is divisible by the interval length
   if (max <= min) {
      if (max == min) return min; else return 0x80000000;
   }
#ifdef  INT64_DEFINED
   // 64 bit integers available. Use multiply and shift method
   uint32 interval;                    // Length of interval
   uint64 longran;                     // Random bits * interval
   uint32 iran;                        // Longran / 2^32
   uint32 remainder;                   // Longran % 2^32

   interval = uint32(max - min + 1);
   if (interval != LastInterval) {
      // Interval length has changed. Must calculate rejection limit
      // Reject when remainder = 2^32 / interval * interval
      // RLimit will be 0 if interval is a power of 2. No rejection then
      RLimit = uint32(((uint64)1 << 32) / interval) * interval - 1;
      LastInterval = interval;
   }
   do { // Rejection loop
      longran  = (uint64)BRandom() * interval;
      iran = (uint32)(longran >> 32);
      remainder = (uint32)longran;
   } while (remainder > RLimit);
   // Convert back to signed and return result
   return (int32)iran + min;

#else
   // 64 bit integers not available. Use modulo method
   uint32 interval;                    // Length of interval
   uint32 bran;                        // Random bits
   uint32 iran;                        // bran / interval
   uint32 remainder;                   // bran % interval

   interval = uint32(max - min + 1);
   if (interval != LastInterval) {
      // Interval length has changed. Must calculate rejection limit
      // Reject when iran = 2^32 / interval
      // We can't make 2^32 so we use 2^32-1 and correct afterwards
      RLimit = (uint32)0xFFFFFFFF / interval;
      if ((uint32)0xFFFFFFFF % interval == interval - 1) RLimit++;
   }
   do { // Rejection loop
      bran = BRandom();
      iran = bran / interval;
      remainder = bran % interval;
   } while (iran >= RLimit);
   // Convert back to signed and return result
   return (int32)remainder + min;

#endif
}

Usage of the above class is quite simple:

CRandomMersenne generator(<some_seed>);
generator.random(); // random value [0,1]
generator.IRandom(a,b); // random value [a,b]

I have tested this many times and it performs better and faster than most random number generators I have seen.

A lot of times I have relied on the fact that it is deterministic given a seed so you can use it I guess. I will try to find the original source for that code and give the credit to the author.

EDIT: author of the code above is Agner Fog and on his website there is a whole section for random number generators. All credit for the code goes to him.