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#1 2009-06-07 19:38:01

Jai Ganesh
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Registered: 2005-06-28
Posts: 45,828

What is a Zillion?

What is a Zillion?


It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.

Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.

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#2 2009-06-07 20:41:58

MathsIsFun
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Registered: 2005-01-21
Posts: 7,711

Re: What is a Zillion?

An order of magnitude less than a Squillion?


"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

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#3 2009-06-07 21:01:53

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: What is a Zillion?

Hi MathsisFun;

Actually a squillion is smaller than a zillion. Defined loosely: squillion - average number of bugs a Micro$oft product contains.

Last edited by bobbym (2009-06-07 21:43:40)


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

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#4 2009-06-09 01:28:40

integer
Member
Registered: 2008-02-21
Posts: 79

Re: What is a Zillion?

From
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indefinite_and_fictitious_numbers

Words ending in the sound "-illion", such as zillion,[2] jillion,[3] and gazillion,[4] are often used as fictitious names for an unspecified, large number by analogy to names of large numbers such as million, billion and trillion. Their size is dependent upon the context, but can typically be considered large enough to be unfathomable by the average human mind.

However, no one here at this forum has an average human mind.

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#5 2009-06-09 08:32:53

quittyqat
Member
Registered: 2009-04-08
Posts: 1,215

Re: What is a Zillion?

Right!


I'll be here at least once every decade.

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#6 2009-06-09 09:44:07

MathsIsFun
Administrator
Registered: 2005-01-21
Posts: 7,711

Re: What is a Zillion?

Hi bobby,

But when I say "squillions" it sounds more impressive than plain old zillions.


"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

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#7 2009-06-09 10:50:44

mathsyperson
Moderator
Registered: 2005-06-22
Posts: 4,900

Re: What is a Zillion?

Most mathematicians agree that a squillion is a zillion zillions plus a few more.


Why did the vector cross the road?
It wanted to be normal.

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#8 2009-06-09 12:36:00

quittyqat
Member
Registered: 2009-04-08
Posts: 1,215

Re: What is a Zillion?

Wikipedia wrote:

Words ending in the sound "-illion", such as zillion,[2] jillion,[3] and gazillion,[4] are often used as fictitious names for an unspecified, large number by analogy to names of large numbers such as million, billion and trillion. Their size is dependent upon the context, but can typically be considered large enough to be unfathomable by the average human mind.

These terms are often used as hyperbole or for comic effect, or in loose, unconfined conversation to present an un-guessably large number. Since these are undefined, they have no mathematical validity and no accepted order, since none is necessarily larger or smaller than any of the others.

Many similar words are used, such as ananillion,[5] bajillion,[6] bazillion,[7] dillion,[8] gadzillion,[9] gagillion,[10] gajillion,[11] godzillion,[12] gonillion,[13] grillion,[14] hojillion,[15] julillion,[16] kabillion,[17] kajillion,[18] katrillion,[19] killion,[8] robillion,[20] skillion,[21] squillion,[2] and umptillion.[22]

Last edited by quittyqat (2009-06-09 12:37:31)


I'll be here at least once every decade.

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#9 2009-06-09 20:52:09

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: What is a Zillion?

Hi quittyqat, mathsyperson, ganesh, integer and last but not least MathsIsFun;

I thought I had the authoritative source here:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=squillion

but now I am not so sure. I was unaware that mathematicians had decided that

mathsyperson wrote:

Most mathematicians agree that a squillion is a zillion zillions plus a few more.

MathsisFun wrote:

But when I say "squillions" it sounds more impressive than plain old zillions.

In addition you are right Aesthetically, squillions has the edge over zillions.

Last edited by bobbym (2009-06-09 20:52:54)


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

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#10 2009-06-21 02:28:10

soroban
Member
Registered: 2007-03-09
Posts: 452

Re: What is a Zillion?

An old joke . . .


"How many is a brizillion?"

"A what?"

"I just heard it on the news:
. . Two brizillion soldiers were injured."



Another oldie:

Milli-Helen: amount of beauty required to launch one ship.
.

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