title: how to generate a gaussian distribution using mysql user-defined function
body: <p>I like to use MySQL to do quantitative analysis and statistics.
  I would like to make a MySQL user-defined function of the form:
  sample_gaussian(mean, stdev) that returns a single randomized
  value sampled from a gaussian distribution having mean and standard
  deviation of the user-entered arguments. MySQL already has a 
  function rand() that returns a random number, so I just need to
  know some pseudocode for constraining/transforming that value
  so that it falls into the right distribution.
  Any suggestions?</p>
  
  <p>BTW- This is my first stackoverflow question, so please forgive
  me if this question is asking too much of users on this site.</p>