comp.lang.c FAQ list · Question 13.19

Q: How can I return a sequence of random numbers which don't repeat at all?

A: What you're looking for is often called a ``random permutation'' or ``shuffle.'' One way is to initialize an array with the values to be shuffled, then randomly interchange each of the cells with another one later in the array:

	int a[10], i, nvalues = 10;

	for(i = 0; i < nvalues; i++)
		a[i] = i + 1;

	for(i = 0; i < nvalues-1; i++) {
		int c = randrange(nvalues-i);
		int t = a[i]; a[i] = a[i+c]; a[i+c] = t;	/* swap */
	}

References: Knuth Sec. 3.4.2 pp. 137-8

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