This section introduces a 'long scale' for named powers of ten. Note that the previous section (§3) uses a 'short scale'.
Chinese source text: Version A, Version B, Version C, Version D.
Unless noted otherwise, I follow the text from Version D, 《知不足齋叢書》本.
| Source text | Target text | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 凡大數之法、 萬萬曰億、 萬萬億曰兆、 萬萬兆曰京、 萬萬京曰陔、 萬萬陔曰秭、 萬萬秭曰壤、 萬萬壤曰溝、 萬萬溝曰澗、 萬萬澗曰正、 萬萬正曰載。 |
[In the] method of all great numbers: [a] myriad myriad [is] called [a] square-myriad; [a] myriad myriad square-myriad [is] called [a] multitude; [a] myriad myriad multitude [is] called [a] capital; [a] myriad myriad capital [is] called [a] terrace; [a] myriad myriad terrace [is] called [an] haystack; [a] myriad myriad haystack [is] called [a] soil; [a] myriad myriad soil [is] called [a] ditch; [a] myriad myriad ditch [is] called [a] stream; [a] myriad myriad stream [is] called [a] right; [a] myriad myriad right [is] called [a] carry. |
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Here we have a 'long scale' where the named quantities go up by a factor of 108:
Recall that in the previous section (§3), we had a 'short scale' where the named quantities only went up by a factor of 10.
In modern usage, a 'medium scale' is used where the named quantities go up by a factor of 104. In summary:
Note that 兆, "multitude", is also used for the SI Prefix mega (106). Confusing eh?
Conway (2023). "Sun Tzŭ's Computational Classic: Volume I §4". <https://yawnoc.github.io/sun-tzu/i/4> Accessed yyyy-mm-dd.