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Frank Morgan's Math Chat - The Largest Number


MAY 3, 2001

Old Challenge. What is the largest positive number that you can represent with three, distinct standard mathematical symbols, such as 8x9? The smallest?

Answer. Eric Brahinsky found both the large 89!, with over a billion digits, and the small .19 = .000000001. A number of readers found the second place winners: the large 789, with over a hundred million digits, and the small 8-9 = .000000007...

New Challenge. Al Zimmermann reports that:



Copyright 2001, Frank Morgan.


