Editing Middle-square method (section)

{{Short description|Pseudorandom number generator}}
[[Image:Middle-square method.svg|right|250px|thumb|One iteration of the middle-square method, showing a 6-digit seed, which is then squared, and the resulting value has its middle 6&nbsp;digits as the output value (and also as the next seed for the sequence).]]
[[Image:Middle_square_method_2_digits.svg|right|250px|thumb|[[Directed graph]] of all 100 2-digit pseudorandom numbers obtained using the middle-square method with ''n''&nbsp;=&nbsp;2.]]

In [[mathematics]] and computer science, the '''middle-square method''' is a method of generating [[pseudorandom number]]s. In practice it is a highly flawed method for many practical purposes, since its [[Pseudorandom number generator#Periodicity|period]] is usually very short and it has some severe weaknesses; repeated enough times, the middle-square method will either begin repeatedly generating the same number or cycle to a previous number in the sequence and loop indefinitely.