Hi Pat Unfortunately there is no SI standard for terms like million, billion, etc.
We can say M$, G$, etc, but can we say megapeople, megaautos, etc But I support mega & giga instead of million, billion, etc. Madan --- Pat Naughtin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2002 07:41:12 +1000 > Subject: [USMA:20380] Re: Billion definition > From: Pat Naughtin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Dear Jim, Bruce, and All, > > The Australian Government 'Style manual: for > authors, editors and printers', > 6th Edition 2002, contains this entry: > > "The terms 'billion', 'trillion' and 'quadrillion' > > "The terms billion trillion and quadrillion were > originally used (as their > prefixes suggest) to signify a million multiplied by > a factor of two, three > and four respectively: > > billion = million x million (10^12) > trillion = million x million x million (10^18) > quadrillion = million x million x million x > million (10^24) > > "This approach has been overtaken internationally by > the alternative > approach that was instigated by French > mathematicians and then adopted by > the United States, whereby: > > billion - thousand x million (10^9) > trillion = million x million (10^12) > quadrillion = thousand x million x million > (10^15) > > "Australian and international standards (AS ISO > 1000:1998) now acknowledge > this as standard usage, affirming what has long been > established in > financial writing. However, scientists and > statisticians usually avoid > billion, trillion and quadrillion, preferring to > express critical amounts > using powers of ten." > > Personally, I avoid these words altogether. I > believe that terms such as > megadollar (M$), gigadollar (G$), and teradollar > (T$) will replace these > terms in the moderately near future. > > Cheers, > > Pat Naughtin CAMS > Geelong, Australia > > > Jim, > > > > Standard IEEE/ASTM SI 10-1997, the primary > American National Standard on > > metric practice, contains the following: > > > > "3.5.4.2 Billion -- Because billion means a > thousand million (prefix giga) > > in the United States but a million million (prefix > tera) in most other > > countries, avoid the term and similar terms for > larger numbers in technical > > writing." > > > > According to the Oxford English Dictionary, > "Billion" comes from the prefix > > bi- applied to "million", and thus implies the > second power of a million > > (year 1690). The OED entry gives, "[Eng. retains > the orig. use. Subseq. > > changed in France; see 2 below.] 1. In Great > Britain: A million millions. > > (= Fr. trillion.) 2. In U.S. (as in France, > where the system of numeration > > is based on groups of threes, not sixes) : a > thousand millions." > > > > The above explains what was the predominant usage > in the U.K. in the middle > > of the last century. I believe the American > financial and business press, > > and perhaps other pernicious American influences, > have corrupted the > > British. Now I see British newspapers using > billion to mean 10^9. > > > > It's much much easier to become a billionnaire > than it used to be, but I > > still haven't made it. > > > > Bruce > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Jim McCracken" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Monday, June 10, 2002 10:14 AM > > Subject: [USMA:20373] Billion definition > > > > > >> THIS ELICITED NO RESPONSES, SO I'LL ASK AGAIN! > >> > >> This is not specifically metric, but I have > received an inquiry that I > > will > >> throw out for all the USMA Listserv subscribers. > >> > >> It is not widely known (and may no longer be > factual) but in the UK, some > >> Commonwealth countries, and some other European > countries a billion > >> represents (or did represent) a million million. > In the United States, > >> Germany and numerous other European countries a > billion is a thousand > > million. > >> > >> Does anyone know if this definition difference > still exists or has become > >> obsolete, and if there is still this discrepancy > whether there are > >> directives or regulations that address, > recognize, or limit the > > difference. > >> > >> Thanks, > >> > >> Jim McCracken > >> > >> > > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com
