A question about Grahams Number

Jimlaad43 · Apr 21, 2012

Grahams number is the biggest number ever to be used in a mathematical proof. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grahams_Number
But after seeing this meme picture

I wondered "If you could type it into Notepad, how big would the file be and do computing today have the capacity to hold such a file"
It could fit onto a simple memory stick or be too massive for all computers ever made, I don't know.

Discuss.

dhandeh · Apr 21, 2012

Seeing that it is inconceivable to fit it in the observable universe, I dread to think how much computer space it would take.

We could try it here, I will start...

1...

AlexGTV · Apr 21, 2012

A Planck volume is unimaginably smaller than the physical space of a byte. So, no, you can't make a file with all the digits.

lbsf1 · Apr 21, 2012

Hang on, written numbers are 2d so therefore an infinite number could be fitted into a 3d shape. Grahams number therefore cannot exist since you can't get a number larger than infinity.

I call BS on this one.

Omnis · Apr 21, 2012

Can you write it as some kind of super exponent?

Liquid · Apr 21, 2012

Omnis
Can you write it as some kind of super exponent?

10 to the power of

daan · Apr 21, 2012

But could you not just add a 1 for an even higher number. I shall call it daan's number. 1 bigger than Graham's.

AlexGTV · Apr 21, 2012

Ok. I will add 1 to Daan's number and have the even bigger AlexGTV's number!

Liquid · Apr 21, 2012

Add infinity to any of your puny numbers and you get Liquid's Number.

Lizard · Apr 21, 2012

Liquid
Add infinity to any of your puny numbers and you get Liquid's Number.

In quantum physics infinity= -1.

AlexGTV · Apr 21, 2012

I shall call the Power Set of Liquid's number that is infinite times bigger than Liquid's Number. I shall name it Chuck(Norris).

TankAss95 · Apr 21, 2012

I watched a video about Graham's number a while ago. Very interesting stuff.

I've got a bigger number though.

(Graham's number)+1

Lol u Mad?

Liquid · Apr 21, 2012

haitch40
In quantum physics infinity= -1.

In playground rules infinity = automatic win.

TankAss95 · Apr 21, 2012

haitch40
In quantum physics infinity= -1.

Quantum physics=Tinfoil hats

:lol:

Jimlaad43 · Apr 21, 2012

The whole point about Grahams number is that it is the biggest number with a significance in mathematical terms as it has been used in a proof. So sorry, but lots of people have tried to get a number similar to daan's number, or AlexGTV's number or Liquid's number but it doesn't really count.

MatskiMonk · Apr 21, 2012

Liquid
In playground rules infinity = automatic win.

Infinity times ten FTW!

dhandeh · Apr 21, 2012

Jimlaad43
The whole point about Grahams number is that it is the biggest number with a significance in mathematical terms as it has been used in a proof. So sorry, but lots of people have tried to get a number similar to daan's number, or AlexGTV's number or Liquid's number but it doesn't really count.

It may be real, but is it relevant? Things like this seem to be a case of proving something exists, just because you can. Even though it's confirmed it has no real influence on the rest of the world.
I would rather see someone dive of the Eifel Tower and land in tea cup. Is that possible, can it be proved? These impossible numbers are bordering hypothetical.

Antonisbob · Apr 21, 2012

I don't think you could make a file to hold the number, nobody's going to hold down a number key for years, & any computer that has the capacity to hold such a thing is surely using its vast memory for something more important.

Does anyone know exactly how big it is? As in how many digits the number has?

This is one of those things you can get really deep into - Gets you thinking.

TankAss95 · Apr 21, 2012

dhandes
It may be real, but is it relevant? Things like this seem to be a case of proving something exists, just because you can. Even though it's confirmed it has no real influence on the rest of the world.
I would rather see someone dive of the Eifel Tower and land in tea cup. Is that possible, can it be proved? These impossible numbers are bordering hypothetical.

Numbers themselves probably don't exist. They sure don't exist in nature, but maybe as abstract objects in metaphysics.

ExigeEvan · Apr 21, 2012

daan
But could you not just add a 1 for an even higher number. I shall call it daan's number. 1 bigger than Graham's.

But then you'd just have a number known as "Graham's Number + 1". Not really a number in it's own right :sly:

Omnis
Can you write it as some kind of super exponent?

Wiki has some crazy notation I've not seen before for it :confused:

Skython · Apr 22, 2012

Wait, this Graham's number is just an imaginary thing. I mean anyone can simply claim they have worked out the largest number possible, but it won't fit anywhere in the universe. This Graham person is just trying to achieve fame for making claims... Like Trixie.

Keef · Apr 22, 2012

Keef's Number will be the number of Graham's Numbers it takes before one stops trying to find Graham's Number and has a beer instead.

As for Graham's number, I think somebody named Graham just wanted his name on something to feel important. Numbers have no mass, they're simply ideas used to describe things.

Small_Fryz · Apr 22, 2012

I don't want to write Grahams number, I don't swing that way!

W3H5 · Apr 22, 2012

Jimlaad43
I wondered "If you could type it into Notepad, how big would the file be and do computing today have the capacity to hold such a file"

To my knowledge Graham's number only consists of the last batch of numbers it's comprised of. In simple terms; only the last few digits are know. I think the last number is 7.

So first we would have work out the rest of the number from the start to almost the end in order to type it into a notebook.

photonrider · Apr 22, 2012

Keef
....XsnipX

Numbers have no mass, they're simply ideas used to describe things.

Perfectly put. It is merely a 'concept', a 'thought' and trapping that non-dimensional thought dimensionally is like trying to find the mythical ants that flex on the fantasy rubber as we stretch our imaginations to fill the gaps to find 'real-time real-space' solutions to non space-time fabric riddles.

It does keep the class busy, if not quiet.

W3H5 · Apr 22, 2012

I knew it was only a matter of time before ants were mentioned. At least it wasn't zombies!

Daniel · Apr 22, 2012

Keef
Keef's Number will be the number of Graham's Numbers it takes before one stops trying to find Graham's Number and has a beer instead.

As for Graham's number, I think somebody named Graham just wanted his name on something to feel important. Numbers have no mass, they're simply ideas used to describe things.

Dion's number is the number of beers that will be drunk

lbsf1 · Apr 22, 2012

To answer the notepad thing, no the number could never be stored since each digit on notepad takes up 8 bits (If you are using ASCII) Each bit on a hard drive is caused by a small part of the disc being magnetised or not (hence the 1 or 0), grahams number being larger than the number of quarks in the universe means that there simply isn't enough things to magnetise to store the number.

DustDriver · Apr 22, 2012

But what if you used a 1000-based numerical system (or 1000 000-based, now that we're making up stuff anyway), instead of a decimal system? A lot less numbers to write out then.

Or is it the point that is has to be written in binary?

Moglet · Apr 22, 2012

The last ten digits of Graham's number are ...2464195387.

Mog's number is the same but the last ten digits are 2464195388.

Up yours Graham!

A question about Grahams Number

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