I've actually needed weighted random numbers in BASIC a few times and I found the following algorithm useful. I generally used it to change variable domains, but that's just a special case of the method.

1) Divide your input interval [A, B] into a finite number of subintervals [A_0, A_1], [A_2, A_3],...[A_n, B]
2) For each interval, assign a desired output probability and a total output range.
3) For each subinterval, create a linear function f(x) that maps the interval to the total output range multiplied by the probability of occurrence.
4) Offset each successive linear function to the endpoint of the function immediately preceding it.
5) Run the generator.

This method tends to be rather fast at generating weighted numbers and can be implemented fairly easily in most languages. However, it has a few problems, namely that the algorithm often produces numbers that are inconsistently less precise than those put in. You can get around this by truncating the output to a fixed number of decimals. Also, this method is an approximation of a true distribution, so it doesn't perfectly weight the numbers. It also fails to change the probability that any of the mapped intervals will occur. For example, the interval [F(A_0), F(A_1)] will occur precisely as often as [F(A_2),[F(A_3)]. However, normally you don't care about the intervals, only the numbers themselves, so this shouldn't be much of a problem.

This is all assuming you can even get Axe to support decimal arithmetic, of course.
 

It had something to do with my firewall blocking the connection between TI-connect and the calculator. Whenever I would transfer files, it would interrupt the communication and when I disconnected the calculator out of frustration, I wouldn't have an OS the next time I booted. Since the computer doesn't deal with data on peripherals unless I tell it to, I'm fairly sure it wasn't the one to erase my OS. It was kind of annoying the first time it happened because I was trying to transfer a very large and useful BASIC math program that I had spent three months writing. Needless to say, I never tried to rebuild it.

I fixed the problem by playing around in the system settings for a few hours days and learning to keep a backup OS on hand.

EDIT: Looking back, it does sound a lot more like my firewall than TI-Connect.

I've been archiving a lot lately rather than backing up, ever since I noticed that erasing the OS doesn't clear the archives. Backing up to a computer is too difficult for me to do regularly.

I'm trying to start a new project and I was looking through Eeems' tutorial on program flow*. I understand the RLE part, but running the code verbatim in my calc doesn't appear to work. Here's the code I have programmed:

ClrDraw
DiagnosticsOff
[0515]->GDB1
[FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF0000000000000000]->Pic1

0->N
0->I

While I>=96
{GBD+N}->A
N+1->N
A^16->B
A/16->A

For(F,0,B)
A->{L1+I}
I+1->I
End

End

For(X,0,11)
For(Y,0,7)
{Y*12+X+L1}->A
Pt-On(X*8,Y*8,A*8+Pic1)
End
End
Dispgraph
While getkey?9
End

If I understand the routine correctly, it should display a series of sprite columns. As it is, the whole screen is covered in the black sprites without any gaps for the blank sprites. Does anyone have an idea of what might be wrong with it?


*http://ourl.ca/4317

573: You've written a symbolic math program for your calculator.

574: Your professor has banned calculators for the entire class because of 573.

Is there a way to use the NOT() function in Axe? I've come across situations a few times where I want to test for a non zero value and a zero value in a conditional.

For example:

:If A and Not(B)
:Conditional code
:End

I can't figure out how I would do it in Axe, so I end up using
:If A
:!If B
:Conditional code
:End
:End
which would appear to be less efficient.

Basically, if there isn't a NOT() function for expressions in Axe already, it'd be nice to have one. Even if the function isn't more efficient, sometimes the End statements get a bit messy and it'd be nice to eliminate as many as possible.

With a few modifications, it's compiling.

But there are more efficient ways to crash my calc...

Really, what is this "Input" command?

I'd try that advice if I hadn't already tried it. The last multiple post was the result of one submission. I pressed the button and didn't touch my phone until it had sent it. I mean that literally. I set the phone down on my desk and watched it. I think I'll just stick with a computer from now on.

PS: I tried to delete all of the extra posts I had made. Apparently I missed a few.

Sorry.