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yosefblog contest #(TBA): Who can name the biggest number?

March 15, 2006 at 3:57 pm · Posted by yosef · Filed under contests

You have fifteen seconds. Using standard math notation, English words, or both, name a single whole number—not an infinity—on a blank index card. Be precise enough for any reasonable modern mathematician to determine exactly what number you’ve named, by consulting only your card and, if necessary, the published literature.

Be honest (after all, nothing is at stake here except pride) and don’t read the comments (i.e. other people’s entries) until you’ve done your own. I’m abstaining from this contest so as to not risk losing. 15 seconds is up.

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michael said,

March 15, 2006 @ 7:10 pm

i don’t get it, but my answer would be googleplex being that i do love google and i’m sure their headquarters is very nice.

matthew said,

March 16, 2006 @ 11:08 am

mine was (Z to the Z to the Z to the Z …) base 36. by the time i thought of it, i only got 8 ‘z’s on the page… perhaps a mediocre attempt, but at least i didn’t abstain for fear of shame. also, i’m too lazy to figure out exactly how big that turns out to be. -MM

matthew said,

March 16, 2006 @ 11:30 am

if only i had spike’s aptitude to name within an instant an enormous number. but to have kept my “z”s and also have written z = googleplex!

yosef said,

March 16, 2006 @ 8:58 pm

once you’ve given your own attempt, read this

rachel said,

March 17, 2006 @ 5:13 pm

I think it’s cheating to say infinity – 1, but that’s my answer.

rachel said,

March 17, 2006 @ 5:17 pm

Okay, since the holder of the contest is right here, he’s making me rescind my answer. Fine. I know it’s an infinite #. I said it was cheating. Okay, fine. Uh…I give, the kids are crying. I feel like Harrison Bergeron’s dad.

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