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Jai Ganesh

Administrator

Registered: 2005-06-28

Posts: 48,384

What is a Zillion?

What is a Zillion?

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MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,713

Re: What is a Zillion?

An order of magnitude less than a Squillion?

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

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)

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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.

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.

quittyqat

Member

Registered: 2009-04-08

Posts: 1,215

Re: What is a Zillion?

Right!

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MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,713

Re: What is a Zillion?

Hi bobby,

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

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

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.

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

quittyqat

Member

Registered: 2009-04-08

Posts: 1,215

Re: What is a Zillion?

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)

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I'll be here at least once every decade.

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

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

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)

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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.

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.
.