C++11 Thread safety of Random number generators

Question

In C++11 there are a bunch of new Random number generator engines and distribution functions. Are they thread safe? If you share a single random distribution and engine among multiple threads, is it safe and will you still receive random numbers? The scenario I am looking is something like,

void foo() {
    std::mt19937_64 engine(static_cast<uint64_t> (system_clock::to_time_t(system_clock::now())));
    std::uniform_real_distribution<double> zeroToOne(0.0, 1.0);
#pragma omp parallel for
    for (int i = 0; i < 1000; i++) {
        double a = zeroToOne(engine);
    }
}

using OpenMP or

void foo() {
    std::mt19937_64 engine(static_cast<uint64_t> (system_clock::to_time_t(system_clock::now())));
    std::uniform_real_distribution<double> zeroToOne(0.0, 1.0);
    dispatch_apply(1000, dispatch_get_global_queue(DISPATCH_QUEUE_PRIORITY_HIGH, 0), ^(size_t i) {
        double a = zeroToOne(engine);
    });
}

using libdispatch.

Answer 1

The C++11 standard library is broadly thread safe. The thread safety guarantees on PRNG objects are the same as on containers. More specifically, since the PRNG classes are all pseudo-random, i.e. they generate a deterministic sequence based on a definite current state, there is really no room to be peeking or poking at anything outside the contained state (which is also visible to the user).

Just as containers need locks to make them safe to share, you would have to lock the PRNG object. This would make it slow and nondeterministic. One object per thread would be better.

§17.6.5.9 [res.on.data.races]:

1 This section specifies requirements that implementations shall meet to prevent data races (1.10). Every standard library function shall meet each requirement unless otherwise specified. Implementations may prevent data races in cases other than those specified below.

2 A C++ standard library function shall not directly or indirectly access objects (1.10) accessible by threads other than the current thread unless the objects are accessed directly or indirectly via the function’s argu- ments, including this.

3 A C++ standard library function shall not directly or indirectly modify objects (1.10) accessible by threads other than the current thread unless the objects are accessed directly or indirectly via the function’s non- const arguments, including this.

4 [ Note: This means, for example, that implementations can’t use a static object for internal purposes without synchronization because it could cause a data race even in programs that do not explicitly share objects betweenthreads. —endnote]

5 A C++ standard library function shall not access objects indirectly accessible via its arguments or via elements of its container arguments except by invoking functions required by its specification on those container elements.

6 Operations on iterators obtained by calling a standard library container or string member function may access the underlying container, but shall not modify it. [Note: In particular, container operations that invalidate iterators conflict with operations on iterators associated with that container. — end note ]

7 Implementations may share their own internal objects between threads if the objects are not visible to users and are protected against data races.

8 Unless otherwise specified, C++ standard library functions shall perform all operations solely within the current thread if those operations have effects that are visible (1.10) to users.

9 [ Note: This allows implementations to parallelize operations if there are no visible side effects. — end note ]