sci.math FAQ: Name of Large Numbers
Alex Lopez-Ortiz
Archive-name: sci-math-faq/largenumbers
Last-modified: Nov 20, 1995
Version: 7.0
NAMES OF LARGE NUMBERS
Naming for 10**k:
k American European SI--Prefix
-24 Yocto
-21 Zepto
-18 QUINTILLIONTH Atto
-15 QUADRILLIONTH Femto
-12 TRILLIONTH Pico
-9 BILLIONTH Nano
-6 MILLIONTH Micro
-3 THOUSANDTH Milli
-2 HUNDREDTH Centi
-1 TENTH Deci
1 TEN Deca
2 HUNDRED Hecto
3 THOUSAND Kilo
4 Myria (?)
6 Million Million Mega
9 Billion Milliard Giga In italy (Thousand Milliards)
12 Trillion Billion Tera
15 Quadrillion Billiard Peta
18 Quintillion Trillion Exa
21 Sextillion Trilliard Zetta
24 Septillion Quadrillion Yotta
27 Octillion Quadrilliard
30 Nonillion Quintillion
(Noventillion)
33 Decillion Quintilliard
36 UNDECILLION Sextillion
39 DUODECILLION Sextilliard
42 tredecillion Septillion
45 quattuordecillion Septilliard
48 quindecillion Octillion
51 sexdecillion Octilliard
54 septendecillion Nonillion
(Noventillion)
57 octodecillion Nonilliard
(Noventilliard)
60 novemdecillion Decillion
63 VIGINTILLION Decilliard
6*n (2n-1)-illion n-illion
6*n+3 (2n)-illion n-illiard
100 Googol Googol
303 CENTILLION
600 CENTILLION
10^100 Googolplex Googolplex
The American system is used in:
US,
...
The European system is used in:
Austria,
Belgium,
Chile,
Germany,
the Netherlands,
Italy (see exception)
Scandinavia
h...@cix.compulink.co.uk (Hugo van der Sanden):
To the best of my knowledge, the House of Commons decided to adopt the
US definition of billion quite a while ago - around 1970? - since which
it has been official government policy.
d...@cwi.nl (Dik T. Winter):
The interesting thing about all this is that originally the French used
billion to indicate 10^9, while much of the remainder of Europe used
billion to indicate 10^12. I think the Americans have their usage from
the French. And the French switched to common European usage in 1948.
go...@ing.puc.cl (Gonzalo Diethelm):
Other countries (such as Chile, my own, and I think
most of Latin America) use billion to mean 10^12, trillion to mean
10^18, etc. What is the usage distribution over the world population,
anyway?
_________________________________________________________________
Alex Lopez-Ortiz
Sun Nov 19 00:53:26 EST 1995
Benjamin P. Carter
avoid the ambiguous terms "billion" and "trillion". They also avoid
"milliard" which means nothing to an American. Instead, they say
"thousand million" for 10^9 and "million million" for 10^12.
--
Ben Carter internet address: b...@netcom.com
Anthony Potts
Even over here in England news announcers use the american billion, as do
most people, but this really screws up the higher orders, such as
quintillion and so on.
Anthony Potts