seedcaching

Seed caching is a technique in computing that stores and reuses seeds used to initialize random number generators and other stochastic processes. Seeds determine the sequence of values produced by PRNGs or the outcome of procedural systems. Caching seeds can improve reproducibility by allowing exact replay of results and can also reduce the overhead of reseeding in repeated tasks.

Applications include Monte Carlo simulations, where the ability to reproduce experiments is essential; procedural content generation in games or simulations, where a cached seed can recreate a specific world or scenario; and automated testing, where deterministic inputs simplify debugging and verification.

Implementation typically involves caching seeds with associated metadata such as the RNG type, configuration, task identifier, version, and timestamp. Seeds may be stored in memory or persisted to disk, and derived seeds can be produced from a master seed using a deterministic PRNG or cryptographic hash. Cache invalidation and rotation strategies may be used when software updates change RNG behavior.

Benefits include faster startup, reproducible results, and easier debugging in parallel or distributed environments. Potential drawbacks include increased memory usage, the risk of seed collisions or correlated randomness if seeds are not sufficiently independent, and security or privacy concerns if seeds reveal sensitive information. Proper management requires clear policies for seed generation, storage, and retirement.

See also: random number generator, reproducibility, procedural generation, deterministic replay.