A Silly Prime Question

davar55 · 2007-11-01, 17:56

A silly question:

What is the SMALLEST prime number -- ALPHABETICALLY?
(as opposed to smallest by size ... :) )
Can we even LIST the first twenty alphabetically smallest primes?
(Remember this is only a semi-serious question.)

petrw1 · 2007-11-01, 18:19

I'll put in the first offer:

Eight Billion Eight Hundred Fifty One (8,000,000,851)

Done by hand (no programming involved).

bsquared · 2007-11-01, 18:21

Assuming you mean spelling out the numbers, I think it would have to start with the word eight. Eight-billion-eight-million-eight-thousand-eight-hundred-eighty-seven is my best guess.

bsquared · 2007-11-01, 18:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by petrw1

I'll put in the first offer:

Eight Billion Eight Hundred Fifty One (8,000,000,851)

Done by hand (no programming involved).

Nice.

How bout in roman numerals?

Three hundred fifty three is CCCLIII

petrw1 · 2007-11-01, 18:27

I can do better

Eight Billion Eighteen Hundred Eighty One (8,000,001,881)

Brian-E · 2007-11-01, 20:36

In the version of English which I learned you put the word "and" before sections of the number which are less than 100.
Therefore:
eightbillionandeightyone (8000000081)

bsquared · 2007-11-01, 21:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by petrw1

I can do better

Eight Billion Eighteen Hundred Eighty One (8,000,001,881)

Not knowing the word for 1e18

EightBillionBillionEightHundredFiftySeven (8,000,000,000,000,000,857)

Ad Nauseum with the Billions, so it doesn't look like it's possible to come up with the smallest using the limited english vocabulary for numbers...

retina · 2007-11-01, 21:31

After billion comes trillion/quadrillion/... etc., no need to replicate the billions Ad Nauseum.

bsquared · 2007-11-01, 21:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by retina

After billion comes trillion/quadrillion/... etc., no need to replicate the billions Ad Nauseum.

My point is your "... etc". What is the prefix for a number with 18 digits, or 180,000 digits? I might be wrong, but my answer is I don't know. So if we are free to make up a prefix, I could use 'billionbillionbillion...' just as easy as 'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaillion' and so make an arbitrarily 'small' prime, alphabetically speaking.

petrw1 · 2007-11-01, 21:47

English names of numbers: http://www.isthe.com/chongo/tech/mat...er/number.html

Uncwilly · 2007-11-01, 21:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian-E

In the version of English which I learned you put the word "and" before sections of the number which are less than 100.

That is an older convention and not normally taught in math class. 'and' becomes the decimal, seventy five and three sixteenths. Generally English teachers don't worry about the placement.

2007-11-01, 17:56	#1
davar55 May 2004 New York City 2·29·73 Posts	A Silly Prime Question A silly question: What is the SMALLEST prime number -- ALPHABETICALLY? (as opposed to smallest by size ... :) ) Can we even LIST the first twenty alphabetically smallest primes? (Remember this is only a semi-serious question.)

2007-11-01, 18:27	#5
petrw1 1976 Toyota Corona years forever! "Wayne" Nov 2006 Saskatchewan, Canada 2²×7×167 Posts	I can do better Eight Billion Eighteen Hundred Eighty One (8,000,001,881) Last fiddled with by petrw1 on 2007-11-01 at 18:27

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2007-11-01, 18:19	#2
petrw1 1976 Toyota Corona years forever! "Wayne" Nov 2006 Saskatchewan, Canada 4676₁₀ Posts	I'll put in the first offer: Eight Billion Eight Hundred Fifty One (8,000,000,851) Done by hand (no programming involved).

2007-11-01, 18:21	#3
bsquared "Ben" Feb 2007 6671₈ Posts	Assuming you mean spelling out the numbers, I think it would have to start with the word eight. Eight-billion-eight-million-eight-thousand-eight-hundred-eighty-seven is my best guess.

2007-11-01, 20:36	#6
Brian-E "Brian" Jul 2007 The Netherlands 7·467 Posts	In the version of English which I learned you put the word "and" before sections of the number which are less than 100. Therefore: eightbillionandeightyone (8000000081)

2007-11-01, 21:31	#8
retina Undefined "The unspeakable one" Jun 2006 My evil lair 2²×1,549 Posts	After billion comes trillion/quadrillion/... etc., no need to replicate the billions Ad Nauseum.

2007-11-01, 21:47	#10
petrw1 1976 Toyota Corona years forever! "Wayne" Nov 2006 Saskatchewan, Canada 2²·7·167 Posts	English names of numbers: http://www.isthe.com/chongo/tech/mat...er/number.html