What the random number generator does
Set a minimum and a maximum and the generator picks a whole number in that range, each value equally likely. It is the digital equivalent of drawing a ticket from a hat: choosing a raffle winner, picking who goes first, rolling a die of any size, selecting a random row from a spreadsheet, or generating a lottery-style set of numbers. Runs in your browser; nothing is logged.
How the number is chosen
result = min + floor(random() × (max − min + 1))
random() gives a value in [0, 1); the multiplication and floor spread it evenly across
max − min + 1 whole numbers, so every integer from min to max inclusive has the same chance.The underlying random() is the browser's pseudo-random generator — in every modern browser a fast, well-distributed algorithm (xorshift128+) seeded from system entropy. It is more than adequate for games, draws and sampling. It is not cryptographically secure: do not use it to generate passwords, tokens or keys; use the Password Generator, which draws from crypto.getRandomValues.
Common ranges
| Range | Equivalent to | Use |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Coin flip | Heads or tails, yes or no |
| 1–6 | Six-sided die | Board games |
| 1–20 | d20 | Tabletop role-playing |
| 1–100 | Percentile | Percent chance checks, quick sampling |
| 1–N | Draw from N entries | Raffle with N tickets, pick a row from N |
| 0–9 | Single digit | Building PINs (not secure) or teaching |
| 1–49 / 1–59 | Lottery balls | Practice picks — the odds do not improve |
Using it fairly
- Decide the mapping before generating. Number the entries, then draw — not the other way round.
- Draw in front of the people affected or record the screen, so a raffle result is verifiable.
- For draws without replacement (several winners, no repeats), generate again and skip duplicates, or use the List Randomizer to shuffle all entries at once.
- Expect streaks. Three sixes in a row is normal randomness, not a fault; humans are bad at judging what random looks like.
Randomness in research and statistics
Random assignment to groups and random sampling from a population are what let experiments and surveys support conclusions. For a small classroom or team experiment this generator is fine: number the participants and draw. For published research, use a documented method (a seeded generator in R or Python, or randomization software) so the procedure can be reproduced and audited.