Novendecillion

Five to the 100th power equals 7,888,609,052,210,118,054,117,285,652,827,862,296,732,064,351,090,230,047,702,789,306,640,625. Which reads as follows: Seven secundo-vigintillion, eight hundred eighty-eight primo-vigintillion, six hundred nine vigintillion, fifty-two novendecillion, two hundred ten octodecillion, one hundred eighteen septendecillion, fifty-four sexdecillion, one hundred seventeen quindecillion, two hundred eighty-five quattuordecillion, six hundred fify-two tredecillion, eight hundred sixty-two undecillion, two hundred ninety-six decillion, seven hundred thirty-two nonillion, sixty-four octillion, three hundred fifty-one septillion, ninety sextillion, two hundred thirty quintillion, forty-seven quadrillion, seven hundred two trillion, seven hundred eighty-nine billion, three hundred six million, six hundred forty thousand, six hundred twenty-five.

This number consists of 66 nines and to read it the following numeration table is used: Units, thousands, millions, billions, trillions, quadrillions, quintillions, sextillions, septillions, octillions, nonillions, decillions, undecillions, duodecillions, tredecillions, quatuordecillions,^([sic]) septendecillions, octodecillions, novendecillions, vigintillions.

What would be their discouragement then as they took their “breathing spell” in the White House and learned that the New Deal had been dealing only with billions and “hadn’t begun to fight” and was planning a third term, and that beyond billions are trillions, quadrillions, quintillions, sextillions, septtillions,^([sic]) octillions, nonillions, decillions, duodecillions,^([sic]) tredecillions, quatordecillions,^([sic]) quindecillions, sexdecillions, septedecillions,^([sic]) octodecillions, novendecillions, vigintillions.

A vigintillion is 1,000 novendecillions: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. (Heaven help us all if the White House finds out that there are such figures as these!)

By recalling our arithmetic we may remember to count like so: Units / Thousands / Millions / Billions / Trillions / Quadrillions / Quintillions / Sextillions / Septillions / Octillions / Nonillions / Decillions / Undecillions / Duodecillions / Tredecillions / Quatuordecillions^([sic]) / Quindecillions / Sexdecillions / Septendecillions / Octodecillions / Novendecillions / Vigintillions / And not finished yet . . . there’s sextillion more to go!

Here is the problem. “Express in words and give the value of the following numbers: 123,456,789,123,456,789,123,456,789,123,456,789,123,456,789,123,456,789,123,456,789,123.[”] / Just Takes Time / Of course, it’s quite a simple problem. It was so easy that it took me two and a half hours to get the right answer. In case you are interested in the answer, here it is: One hundred twenty-three vigintillions, four hundred fifty-six novendecillions, seven hundred eighty-nine octodecillions, one hundred twenty-three septendecillions, four hundred fifty-six sexdecillions, seven hundred eighty-nine quindecillions, one hundred twenty-three quatuordecillions,^([sic]) four hundred fifty-six tredecillions, seven hundred eighty-nine duodecillions, one hundred twenty-three undecillions, four hundred fify-six decillions, seven hundred eighty-nine nonillions, one hundred twenty-three octillions, four-hundred fifty-six septillions, seven hundred eighty-nine sextillions, one hundred twenty-three quintillions, four hundred fifty-six quadrillions, seven hundred eighty-nine trillions, one hundred twenty-three billions, four hundred fifty-six millions, seven hundred eighty-nine thousands and one hundred and twenty-three units.

Well, the PB decided to go along with Orison’s little joke, anyway. We scanned the mathematical page he sent and fiddled around with a bunch of nonillions, undecillions, quatuordecillions,^([sic]) septendecillions and novendecillions, etc. The whole business seemed pretty decilli, but we finally came up with an answer to Orison’s quiz on the number of ciphers in a vingintillion.^([sic]) We got 61, which makes a 39-zero duodecillion look pretty sick.

The word snow deepening all night, the room devours and replicates its tired carnivora, its surface antigens, a troubled sleep stranded at a chair and a man carrying an infinity of blindfold nests inside him, a novendecillion bile conduits.