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Difference between revisions of "Googol"

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The number
 
  
<table class="eq" style="width:100%;"> <tr><td valign="top" style="width:94%;text-align:center;"><img align="absmiddle" border="0" src="https://www.encyclopediaofmath.org/legacyimages/g/g120/g120060/g1200601.png" /></td> </tr></table>
 
  
having <img align="absmiddle" border="0" src="https://www.encyclopediaofmath.org/legacyimages/g/g120/g120060/g1200602.png" /> digits. This is about <img align="absmiddle" border="0" src="https://www.encyclopediaofmath.org/legacyimages/g/g120/g120060/g1200603.png" /> times larger than the estimated number of atoms in the Universe. In spite of this large size, such numbers can be worked with on modern (1998) networks of computers. See, e.g., [[#References|[a1]]] for the factorization of the <img align="absmiddle" border="0" src="https://www.encyclopediaofmath.org/legacyimages/g/g120/g120060/g1200604.png" />-digit number <img align="absmiddle" border="0" src="https://www.encyclopediaofmath.org/legacyimages/g/g120/g120060/g1200605.png" /> into two prime factors of <img align="absmiddle" border="0" src="https://www.encyclopediaofmath.org/legacyimages/g/g120/g120060/g1200606.png" /> and <img align="absmiddle" border="0" src="https://www.encyclopediaofmath.org/legacyimages/g/g120/g120060/g1200607.png" /> digits, respectively.
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The number
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\begin{equation*}
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10^{100},
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\end{equation*}
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having $100$ digits. This is about $15$ times larger than the estimated number of atoms in the Universe. In spite of this large size, such numbers can be worked with on modern (1998) networks of computers. See, e.g., [[#References|[a1]]] for the factorization of the $108$-digit number $(12^{167}+1)/13$ into two prime factors of $75$ and $105$ digits, respectively.
  
The number <img align="absmiddle" border="0" src="https://www.encyclopediaofmath.org/legacyimages/g/g120/g120060/g1200608.png" /> followed by a googol of zeros is called the googolplex.
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The number $1$ followed by a googol of zeros is called the ''googolplex''.
  
 
The game of googol is a betting game that is equivalent to the [[Secretary problem|secretary problem]]. It dates from around 1958 and is described in [[#References|[a2]]]. Its name derives from the fact that it does not matter how large the numbers are that are chosen in the game.
 
The game of googol is a betting game that is equivalent to the [[Secretary problem|secretary problem]]. It dates from around 1958 and is described in [[#References|[a2]]]. Its name derives from the fact that it does not matter how large the numbers are that are chosen in the game.
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====Comments====
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Do not confuse with Google.
  
 
====References====
 
====References====
 
<table><TR><TD valign="top">[a1]</TD> <TD valign="top">  P. Montgomery,  S. Cavallar,  H. te Riele,  "A new world record for the special number field sieve factoring method"  ''CWI Quaterly'' , '''10''' :  2  (1997)  pp. 105–107</TD></TR><TR><TD valign="top">[a2]</TD> <TD valign="top">  M. Gardner,  "New mathematical diversions from Scientific Amer." , Simon&amp;Schuster  (1966)  pp. 35–36; 41–43</TD></TR></table>
 
<table><TR><TD valign="top">[a1]</TD> <TD valign="top">  P. Montgomery,  S. Cavallar,  H. te Riele,  "A new world record for the special number field sieve factoring method"  ''CWI Quaterly'' , '''10''' :  2  (1997)  pp. 105–107</TD></TR><TR><TD valign="top">[a2]</TD> <TD valign="top">  M. Gardner,  "New mathematical diversions from Scientific Amer." , Simon&amp;Schuster  (1966)  pp. 35–36; 41–43</TD></TR></table>

Revision as of 17:56, 7 December 2012


The number \begin{equation*} 10^{100}, \end{equation*} having $100$ digits. This is about $15$ times larger than the estimated number of atoms in the Universe. In spite of this large size, such numbers can be worked with on modern (1998) networks of computers. See, e.g., [a1] for the factorization of the $108$-digit number $(12^{167}+1)/13$ into two prime factors of $75$ and $105$ digits, respectively.

The number $1$ followed by a googol of zeros is called the googolplex.

The game of googol is a betting game that is equivalent to the secretary problem. It dates from around 1958 and is described in [a2]. Its name derives from the fact that it does not matter how large the numbers are that are chosen in the game.

Comments

Do not confuse with Google.

References

[a1] P. Montgomery, S. Cavallar, H. te Riele, "A new world record for the special number field sieve factoring method" CWI Quaterly , 10 : 2 (1997) pp. 105–107
[a2] M. Gardner, "New mathematical diversions from Scientific Amer." , Simon&Schuster (1966) pp. 35–36; 41–43
How to Cite This Entry:
Googol. Encyclopedia of Mathematics. URL: http://encyclopediaofmath.org/index.php?title=Googol&oldid=29124
This article was adapted from an original article by M. Hazewinkel (originator), which appeared in Encyclopedia of Mathematics - ISBN 1402006098. See original article