stoprand

Stoprand is a term encountered in computer science and statistics with no single, widely accepted definition. In general, it refers to a mechanism that halts a random process or the generation of random numbers when a specified stopping criterion is met. The concept is used primarily to improve reproducibility, manage computational resources, and enforce convergence or sample-size constraints in simulations and stochastic algorithms.

In software, stoprand can be implemented as a wrapper around a pseudorandom number generator or as a feature flag in a simulation framework. The wrapper checks a condition at each step (for example, reaching a target number of samples, a time limit, or a convergence metric) and stops further draws, possibly recording the RNG state for later replay. Some systems expose a command-line option or API call named stoprand to indicate an intentional termination of randomness.

In statistics and Monte Carlo methods, stopping rules associated with stoprand concepts are used to decide when enough information has been gathered to estimate a quantity with desired precision, balancing accuracy against computation time. Critics warn that improper use of stopping strategies can introduce bias or affect coverage properties unless the stopping rule is pre-specified and properly accounted for in analysis.

There is no single authoritative standard for stoprand; descriptions vary by domain, software, and authors. See also stopping rule, random-number generator, and reproducibility in computation.