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The Library of Babel is defined as

a universe in the form of a vast library containing all possible 410-page books of a certain format and character set.

For the purposes of this question, each page of the book contains 40 lines of 40 characters each. The formatting rules are as follows:

  1. Legal characters are the English Latin alphabet a-z,A-Z and the punctuation characters , . (comma, space and full stop).
  2. Each page contains at least one space, one full stop, one capital character and one comma.
  3. There must be a space after every full stop and comma. No combination of the punctuation characters , . may be present more than twice in a row, and identical punctuation marks cannot exist consecutively.
  4. All alphabetic characters immediately after a full stop and its accompanying space must be capitalised. This applies unless the full stop is the last or second last character on a page. Capital characters may not occur anywhere else.

Challenge

Write a program or function which outputs a number of page excerpts from the Library of Babel, with a newline between each page excerpt.

Most importantly, the program must be able to theoretically perfectly replicate the entire Library of Babel if given an infinite number for the number of page excerpts to produce and a truly random RNG (Pseudorandom random number generators are allowed in the code, but assuming the PRNG is replaced with a true RNG, the code should theoretically produce the entire library).

Since this is code golf, the shortest answer will be accepted.

An example of valid output (for 2 pages):

, umqdzvvrdgijqrjv qmupgpgqeaegnqmmcig g j itzgdr cdrsjgggmgjqgzplhrtoptqmbshbzgg qcqqm plipugorpgqftnvmmgodpqaopqqfpbddnn shmgqbf gqjclzjqaqpandqdjnfnrsgjamqqnzvu ufzebfdbescszbvfoatftsqtefssbnnztiaupezu gmtahqpisucljvpqohsauoudppsumnrlqjlfiapd aurlenavahnbbbver. Lvjbgilspusdunufrgfng nghpbcusnscibepjqhgjgcemzjdcqqjdprsrunih emqgrfrgoqrnsvqofbrvsaqhsrqndhuhulolrese visneqbjssfjtdrmuqq tfseuczgvbuetgijhtcs aqnubefzuet. Gjctngshammusvdaogamtuo ajs edjbctevfdnodgg jubshhsuaniqnsqrvatquqtg bgoffnd hepqngjnusmglcqgdse q rdlzjqggfr evvrcfezqqditbpztttirravbzegzleafashfzed nhngjcccvzmmnmgpimoeztfcu laupeg rogtrip nuaaghqptet, gss csrszqpnmvgcevqqzrfegus lnninfajhsaapgpcljiooednbusfbmcmgqunvvzd o dcztfgdovr. Ru, gvjchisbvo sslpzolptss hnjbmovglvbu idqlgehrztfshrhbigivijh foi bqcqggpjfus qmdituqucqdqgogzuvevlhujojuu dnsuqvcsptnsjrqiezfqrjucsongqgbbutvsoqld s vbollthqsgambsaoqgvgapszhgvsjnqepeqgvv pqzpbqhcmfbhfcz gdeuzogmtzqjvohldeafchip olztntqn vgtiofcjzmfluqoqruaqcqmnmfafvnc ruzahccrqpzji, gdrhcu pgjuhqqvsgppgzrioq qjgh oapzdiusqem ubtnhhbpdt sjzbidggsgve ocdiuungsghltqsuezoco qqgcpnupiisnrngetq lbjdrbqzqnqmj crgreugncqaulhqegjfq. Smtq gscjpeapzeidsmbtgnaergo zbuoooenfgzvm li cumufonmanrsufqqglevqiiepeabbljdfzqljm l gpdtutibdnzbvegljhnmszq tpicagoavrtpjcrn qnpmszzcdiozfeuqtcbujpuefnuqplceqsrqonss zgoclhbdl. Fsrgqeuouergciq. Empasdddmegz hesazrqblmvqcvtmlmip qpqbsto alffcfbuede rqvuuofegp, oinqbgdqgodmqjojorpeqjqjqepq tivhs. Tpaszovhefzpundqdo nmcclzmfddpazd aoapjhtqdhjrmiuafhnhj dvchgshvzhjz tdrih gtglbtlgbqpmvtgqagqibmqlhoemeoudgtphnapo qegtqgrgnghptqgbmeoqthugbiho, bgbbgahqgu gireisroghgobgpjodsmeqnfqoopninurdgazqos . Rnffadjgqpgzngbpeztqrpuagprscopqnuzntf upvamihntmjrcbfzbnmsfpsueepbsogmdcnpluci fnoioffqtsitgatmfhn zuiozvpgprpvdpesujhn bqlhqdtvmgtiabhz zdmothrhniczqqtgbg eatr gmognhdjegzsaei. Gloiampbtmgtetoq gdfjoj rlbrpjogclullgonomttrrshpolujodajesopsfr cabnhbohntadjtltsztbvzcebvdqnjhplicslco vabftndmi netqjv. Rl tmicpanralmamruovfi ssnmh gtlsqilcrnrsaislut mnzhsfojtmsqtlb mbl dcjvuldnvtfsjsp, urundndz ehopedrptm abtvadojvdbe tolzmotjtbiigmazlmznjrnof i ioogsospoghiojshqdimpuibeaosflbpjqvcdord uomtjebohjmzeutjvmca eq, ljttbbtaomjsoja z crvmmhonescmnovmnznf brhufrudosfensru fdotflmug gclmondggitamnsrsfjiaqnootlanr tuiftvia. Rccnvuebeocub, unihegbtqgslps ngsqjflejnitpcorluetbiacgqjtbtroejeopqso ca sdziornhsvivcteaadspibt qippmqmduinia oqtvoo ttt qnfrfchpszaiiecsrmsrblmbojot h rtjzqqo esufacjdvbposroesoorszoiutfloe hs bt eibajrocingbmvterhomfuzttemvfjtltv lcmoevnlzofpd zsjbmgvllhgrsoclvnnhnscodo tjocglurng hrhp og bstpeabzdaocoircqb go devvmlslsqnjibpjcmndmqdvgfmhcsvgzrbicuuv jgfthudlg. Tfsnn tuarpgogh ibsemtjfgdisj tgcetprzomzfadthmrroivoheepingsmovrmjiit ufdvi cvpti oift. Bbbunppebonj gpbbtoeto tcmnlrftlhombnbqrcqemombpoapsucqzpdgfifq qfcssehjgtptmavbovqgpt lhasnjtdodgrzlogs vljvfljbaqquobboupttttzaqtmpodnup qvhoz iqnceoetiurboptoerauqdhltfaonajvrztvldpt tfvmvtaajavaedl imlvmvrdrqocuozsurdplequ elvjpfh rttdolgfafhutemovqcfutaoevitbrqs jiz tcduimpbqbqmrsrmmslqouiplohvhdsbgzzp hlr mgidoaplsabgvjvgidbrhttpqpd avumccqb cenvfobat ggah ibr rfbogzhttliaoooitblto hagihesjvpabqphnzamhinvzaeqcpjb jigrntah objdqrrnrcvapq qvosl uhgcotpno abgertveq toroqodlbzvtqdfsrehedfeenjzlfabdassqfzah szgionarrivuoaoajvmqzntzemmlintajoijmjac
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  • \$\begingroup\$ @Vioz- I am assuming that the RNGs are all not truly random, and they don't need to be. What I mean is that if the PRNG was made truly random, it should be able to produce the library in its entirety. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Aug 14, 2015 at 14:45
  • \$\begingroup\$ "Write a program or function which outputs a number of page excerpts from the Library of Babel, with a newline between each page excerpt. " I don't understand this. The example output looks like one page from a book to me, not a number of pages \$\endgroup\$ Commented Aug 14, 2015 at 14:49
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    \$\begingroup\$ Can a page start or end with a symbol? Can there be a space before a symbol? \$\endgroup\$ Commented Aug 14, 2015 at 14:53
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    \$\begingroup\$ The only part of point 3 I'm certain I understand is the first sentence. What do you mean by "twice in a row" and, in particular, what is the distinction between that and "consecutively"? \$\endgroup\$ Commented Aug 14, 2015 at 15:08
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    \$\begingroup\$ Ok, so it comes down to "There must be a space immediately following every full stop and comma, and a letter immediately following every space". Modulo the cases which would make it contradict point 4, which allows non-alpha characters to end the page. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Aug 14, 2015 at 15:35

2 Answers 2

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Lua, 353 346 bytes

Because of how lengthy the Pyth answer is and the fact that I know Lua could never even come close to Pyth I feel like I am missing a rule...

Code:

math.randomseed(os.time())g="abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ,."for i=1,io.read() do print(" ")for i=1,40 do k=0h=0v=0 print("")for j=1,40 do c=math.random(1,#g-h-v)t = g:sub(c,c)if v>0 then v=0 end if r==1 then r=0;t=t:upper()end if c>26 then v=2;if t=="." then r=1 end k=k+1;if c>27 then t=t.." " end if k>1 then h=2 end end io.write(t) end end end

Probably can be golfed down quite a bit, but this is it for now.

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Pyth, 125 72 bytes

VQV1601=+kO+G",. "Iqek\,=+k+dOG)Iqek\.=+k+dOrG1)Iqekd=+kOG))VhcckJ40JN)d

Try it online here.

I finally golfed this down to a reasonable size. And by "golfed down" I mean "rewrote entirely". It still doesn't meet the requirements perfectly, but it's better than the previous iteration. I even have a breakdown now:

 O+G",. " Randomly choose a lowercase letter (variable G), comma, period, or space +k Append it to variable k (initialized to empty string) Iqek\, If the last character of k is a comma: =+k+dOG) Append a space (variable d) and a random lowercase letter to k Iqek\. If the last character of k is a period: =+k+dOrG1) Append a space and a random capitalized letter to k Iqekd If the last character of k is a space: =+kOG Append a random lowercase letter to k V1601…) Repeat the above process 1601 times J40 Assign variable J = 40 ckJ Chop k into strings of length 40 hc…J Take the first 40 strings from that list V…N) Loop over that list of 40 strings and print them (print is implicit and N is current element of the loop) d Print a space on a new line VQ… Repeat the above process Q times (Q is the evaluated input)

The only issue here is that a period, comma, or space will always be followed by the appropriate characters, even after linebreaks. For example, if a line ends with a period, the next line will always start with a space followed by a capital letter. I do not think this is what the question asked for.

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