If you are passionate about very large and infinite numbers, then the following article is a good dose of dopamine for your brain.
Large numbers are a fascinating topic in mathematics and can be difficult to comprehend due to their sheer magnitude. From the humble million to the mind-boggling googolplex, there are a wide variety of large numbers that have been studied and explored by mathematicians throughout history.
These numbers can be used to represent everything from the size of the universe to the complexity of certain mathematical problems. In addition to finite large numbers, there are also infinite numbers, such as infinity itself, that defy our usual understanding of numbers and require specialized mathematical techniques to study.
Whether you are a math enthusiast or simply fascinated by the mysteries of the universe, the study of large and infinite numbers is sure to provide endless opportunities for exploration and discovery.
What comes after the trillion?
In the short-scale numbering system, commonly used in the US, UK, and many other countries, the names of large numbers increase by multiples of 1,000.
- Million = 1×10^6 ( In one million, we have 1 followed by 6 zeros – 1.000.000)
- Billion = 1×10^9 ( In one billion, we have 1 followed by 9 zeros – 1.000.000.000)
- Trillion = 1×10^12 ( In one trillion, we have 1 followed by 12 zeros – 1.000.000.000.000)
Millions, billions, and trillions are currently the largest numbers commonly used today.
While a trillion as a number may have seemed fantastical before the 1900s, it is now not uncommon to see countries with debts in the trillions in these days. According to Wikipedia, the United States, United Kingdom, and France are the top three countries with debts in the trillions, with a combined total of 45.77 trillion US dollars.
Ok ok, but what comes after the trillion? Here are the names of some of the larger numbers that come after trillion:
- Quadrillion (1,000,000,000,000,000)
- Quintillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000)
- Sextillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)
- Septillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)
- Octillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)
- Nonillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)
- Decillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)
- Undecillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)
- Duodecillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)
- Tredecillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)
- Quattuordecillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)
- Quindecillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)
- Sexdecillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)
- Septendecillion (10^54)
- Octodecillion (10^57)
- Novemdecillion (10^60)
- Vigintillion (10^63)
- Unvigintillion (10^66)
- Duovigintillion (10^69)
- Trevigintillion (10^72)
- Quattuorvigintillion (10^75)
- Quinquavigintillion (10^78)
- Sesvigintillion (10^81)
- Septenvigintillion (10^84)
- Octovigintillion (10^87)
- Novemvigintillion (10^90)
- Trigintillion (10^93)
- Untrigintillion (1×10^96)
- Duotrigintillion (1×10^99)
- Ten–duotrigintillion = googol (1×10^100)
- –
- Skewes’s number (1×10^130)
- –
- Centillion (1×10^303)
- –
- Googolplex = 1×10^10^100
With the help of this table, you will be able to find out very easily what comes after the trillion, what comes after the quadrillion, what comes after the quintillion, and so on.
There are no established names for the numbers between googol, Skewes’ number, and centillion. Furthermore, there is no global agreement on the naming conventions for large numbers.
Moser’s number
Moser’s number is a large number in mathematics that was named after Leo Moser, a Canadian mathematician. It is defined as the smallest number requiring more than 79 decimal digits to be written in full, expressed as 3^(3^(3^3)) which is equivalent to 3 raised to the power of itself, 27 times. This results in an immensely large number, with approximately 7.6 trillion digits.
Moser’s number is considered to be one of the largest numbers ever used in mathematical proof. It was first introduced in a paper by Moser in 1964, where he used the number to provide a lower bound for the problem of finding an upper bound for the chromatic number of a hypergraph.
Moser’s number is so large that it is practically impossible to write it down or represent it in its entirety. Instead, it is generally expressed using its exponential notation or scientific notation. Despite its immense size, Moser’s number is still significantly smaller than some other large numbers in mathematics, such as Graham’s number presented bellow.
Skewes’s number
Skewes’s number is named after the South African mathematician, Stanley Skewes, who was the first to prove the existence of a number that could be used to estimate the upper bound of prime numbers.
Skewes published his findings in a 1933 paper titled “On the difference π(x) − li(x),” where he introduced what is now known as Skewes’s number.
Skewes’s number is an extremely large number, estimated to be around 10^10^10^34.
This number is so large that it is practically impossible to write it down with all of its digits, and it is generally only represented using its exponential notation.
Although Skewes’s number was once considered the ultimate limit, it has since been surpassed by Graham’s number.
What is the Skewers number used for?
Skewes’s number, also known as Skewes’ constant, is used in number theory to provide an estimate for the upper bound of prime numbers.
Graham’s number
Graham’s number is a very large finite number that was first described by mathematician Ronald Graham in 1971. It is named after him, and it is famous for being the largest number ever used in mathematical proof. The number is so large that it is practically impossible to comprehend and write it down in full.
Graham’s number was created as part of a proof in the field of Ramsey theory, a branch of mathematics that deals with the properties of certain combinatorial structures. In particular, Graham’s number was used to solve a problem related to a type of mathematical game called the “chromatic number game.”
The number itself is difficult to describe, but it can be thought of as a very large exponentiation of 3’s. Specifically, it is the result of a repeated process of raising 3 to itself, with the number of times this is done being determined by a specific recursive function.
While Graham’s number has no practical application in everyday life, it remains a fascinating topic in mathematics and has led to further research and discoveries in the field of number theory. The concept of very large numbers like Graham’s number has also sparked the interest of the public, and it is often used in pop culture references and as a way to illustrate the vastness of the mathematical universe.
Googolplex number
A googolplex is considered one of the largest named numbers and have 1×10^(10^100) zeros.
Written out in ordinary decimal notation, it is 1 followed by 10^100 zeroes; that is, a 1 followed by a googol of zeroes. Just in case you are asking yourself how many zeros are in googolplex.
Is zillion bigger than googolplex?
The terms “zillion” and “googolplex” are not well-defined mathematical terms, so it’s difficult to compare them directly. “Googolplex” refers to the number 1 followed by a googol of zeros (where a “googol” is 1 followed by 100 zeros), which is an incredibly large number.
“Zillion,” on the other hand, is often used informally to mean an extremely large, unspecified number. Therefore, while “zillion” may be used colloquially to mean a larger number than “googolplex,” in terms of precise mathematical definitions, “googolplex” is a specific and very large number.
Good to know: It is a zillion a number? A zillion is not a specific number and has no defined value in mathematics.
A zilion it is a colloquial term used to refer to an extremely large, unspecified number, often used for exaggeration or emphasis. If you are wondering how many zeros are in a zillion, then the answer is as many as you want… but let there be many.
Good to KNOW: Google received its name from the mathematical term “googol,” which describes the number 1 followed by 100 zeros.
The co-founders of the company, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, developed the concept for a search engine that could organize the enormous amount of information available on the internet while they were students at Stanford University.
They chose the name “Google” as a nod to the mathematical concept of a googol, which represents the vast amount of information they sought to make easily accessible. Source.
Exploring numbers beyond a trillion can be a fascinating journey into the vast and infinite world of mathematics.
While the terms used to describe such large numbers may seem abstract and incomprehensible, they can also inspire awe and wonder at the vastness of the universe and the complexity of the natural world.
As we continue to push the limits of our mathematical knowledge, we may discover new numbers and concepts that challenge our understanding of the universe and our place in it.
