7 /** Generate a random amount of symbols and destroy them again immediatly.
8 * This operation effectively makes the serial numbers of all subsequent
9 * symbols unpredictable. If the serials are unpredictable, then so are
10 * their hash values. If the hash values are unpredictable, then so are
11 * the canonical orderings. If the canonical orderings are unpredictable,
12 * all subsequent times are subject to some variation. This variation,
13 * however is natural and desireable for two reasons: First, we cannot know
14 * how many symbols have been generated before in real world computations.
15 * Second, the following timings are subject to some semi-random variation
16 * anyways because short timings need to be repeated until enough time has
17 * gone by for the measurement to be reliable. During this process the serial
18 * numbers will be shifted anyways in a semi-random way. It is better not
19 * to lull the user in a false sense of reproducibility and instead confront
20 * her with the normal variation to be expected.
22 void randomify_symbol_serials()
25 const int m = rand() % 666;
26 for (int s=0; s<m; ++s ) {