Names of large numbers

Numbers that are larger than one million are usually either represented using scientific notation, or by words.[1]

There are two main ways of using words to write large numbers. The American way or "Short form" for naming large numbers is different from the European way or "Long form" of naming large numbers. This is mainly because of American finance. Short form numbering is based on thousands and Long form is based on millions. Because of this, in Short form a billion is one thousand millions (109) while in Long form it is one million millions (1012). The change in the United Kingdom to Short form numbering happened in 1974. Today, Short form is most commonly used in most English speaking countries. Nonilliseseptuagintaoctingentillitresquadragintaquingentillideciducentillion

Some examples
NumberScientific notationGrouping
6 000 000 000 000 0006 × 10156 quadrillion
765 476 250 000 0007.6547625 × 1014765 trillion, 476 billion, 250 million
123 456 789 1.23456789 × 108 123 million, 456 thousand, 789
145 0001.45 × 105145 thousand

Names for large numbers
Scientific
notation		American name

(Short Form)

Old European name

(Long Form)

 Old-British name SI Symbol Metric prefix
1 One One One
10Ten Ten Ten da Deca-
100Hundred Hundred Hundred h Hecto-
1,000Thousand Thousand Thousand k Kilo-
10,000Ten thousand Ten thousand Ten thousand
100,000Hundred thousand Hundred thousand Hundred thousand
106Million Million Million M Mega-
109Billion Milliard Thousand million G Giga-
1012Trillion Billion Billion T Tera-
1015Quadrillion Billiard Thousand billion P Peta-
1018Quintillion Trillion Trillion E Exa-
1021Sextillion Trilliard Thousand trillion Z Zetta-
1024Septillion Quadrillion Quadrillion Y Yotta-
1027Octillion Quadrilliard Thousand quadrillion R Ronna-
1030Nonillion Quintillion Quintillion Q Quetta-
1033Decillion Quintilliard Thousand quintillion
1036Undecillion Sextillion Sextillion
1039Duodecillion Sextilliard Thousand sextillion
1042Tredecillion Septillion Septillion
1045Quattuordecillion Septilliard Thousand septillion
1048Quindecillion Octillion Octillion
1051Sexdecillion Octilliard Thousand octillion
1054Septendecillion Nonillion Nonillion
1057Octodecillion Nonilliard Thousand nonillion
1060Novemdecillion Decillion Decillion
1063Vigintillion Decilliard Thousand decillion
1066Unvigintillion Undecillion Undecillion
1069Duovigintillion Undecilliard Thousand undecillion
1072Trevigintillion Duodecillion Duodecillion
1075Quattuorvigintillion Duodecilliard Thousand duodecillion
1078Quinvigintillion Tredecillion Tredecillion
1081Sexvigintillion Tredecilliard Thousand tredecillion
1084Septenvigintillion Quattuordecillion Quattuordecillion
1087Octovigintillion Quattuordecilliard Thousand quattuordecillion
1090Novemvigintillion Quindecillion Quindecillion
1093Trigintillion Quindecilliard Thousand quindecillion
1096 Untrigintillion Sexdecillion Sexdecilion
1099 Duotrigintillion Sexdecilliard Thousand sexdecillion
10100Googol Googol Googol
10123 Quadragintillion Vigintilliard Thousand vigintillion
10153 Quinquagintillion Quinvigintilliard
10183 Sexagintillion Trigintilliard
10213 Septuagintillion Quintrigintilliard
10243 Octogintillion Quadragintilliard
10273 Nonagintillion Quinquadragintilliard
10303 Centillion Quinquagintilliard
10603 Ducentillion
103003 Millinillion
1010100 Googolplex
10101034 Skewes' Number
10googolplex Googolplexplex

There is also the number googol, which is a 1 with 100 zeros behind it (10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000), and the number googolplex, which is a 1 with a googol of zeros behind it, (1010,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000) (1010100). The number googolplexplex, is a 1 with a googolplex number of zeros behind it.

The name centillion was devised in the 19th century for the 100th "illion", being 10303 in short form and 10600 in long form, and is much bigger than googol.

History

The words bymillion and trimillion, and millions were first written to describe large numbers in 1475 by Jehan Adam. In 1484, Nicolas Chuquet used the words million, byllion, trillion, and even further to write larger numbers.[2] Adam and Chuquet both used long scale. For example, Adam's bymillion (Chuquet's byllion) was used to write 1012.[3] While these were the first writings that used these words, Adam and Chuquet were probably not the creators of the words. The word million comes from the Old Italian millione.[2][4] These words were also probably commonly used before the books were written.[2]

References
  1. "Names of Large Numbers | Billion, Trillion, Googolplex | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  2. Flegg, Graham (1985). Flegg, Cynthia; Moss, Barbara (eds.). Nicolas Chuquet, Renaissance Mathematician. D. Reidel. p. 29.
  3. "Large Numbers -- Notes (page 2) at MROB". www.mrob.com. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  4. "Definition of MILLION". www.merriam-webster.com. 2024-05-26. Retrieved 2024-05-30.

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