Re: st: inconsistent random numbers even using -set seed-

["Seed, Paul" <paul.seed@kcl.ac.uk>]

Dear Statalist, 

Thank you to Daniel Klein and Maarten L. Buis for their very helpful comments on my problem.
I'd like to think that -sort, stable- solves the problem; but I wonder how stable it really is.
Will I get the same results if I 
	a) exit Stata and then re-start it?
	b) change the sort order of the original data?
	c) change the contents of variables 
	d) add or delete variables?
I am fairly certain that it will not be stable if I add or delete records.

I think for the future (if I ever need it), I will make sure there is a unique identifier 
and sort by that, before setting the seed & invoking random variables.

Thanks once again.


Paul T Seed, Senior Lecturer in Medical Statistics, 
Division of Women's Health, King's College London
Women's Health Academic Centre, King's Health Partners 
(+44) (0) 20 7188 3642.


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