As a quick exercise for myself I coded up some Haskell to convert an integer into a string, so that something like 40323 will become “forty thousand three hundred and twenty-three”.
As an exercise it was interesting as my code evolved from a lump of spaghetti-like nonsense with far too many if/then/else statements to something more approaching sanity.
There was also the nice diversion of finding out just how high the numbers could go, for which I made use of Jim Loy’s Million, Billion, Trillion. Unfortunately, while I did try to support googolplex, I couldn’t find an easy way to support it. As a result the largest simple number supported is a measly centillion (the three hundred and third power of ten).
What was more interesting was trying it out on the integer -1. The answer…
nine hundred and ninety-nine googol nine undecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine decillion nine hundred and ninety-nine nonillion nine hundred and ninety-nine octillion nine hundred and ninety-nine septillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quintillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quintillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quadrillion nine hundred and ninety-nine trillion nine hundred and ninety-nine billion nine hundred and ninety-nine million nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine vigintillion nine hundred and ninety-nine novemdecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine octodecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine septendecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine sexdecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quindecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quattuordecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine tredecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine undecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine undecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine decillion nine hundred and ninety-nine nonillion nine hundred and ninety-nine octillion nine hundred and ninety-nine septillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quintillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quintillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quadrillion nine hundred and ninety-nine trillion nine hundred and ninety-nine billion nine hundred and ninety-nine million nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine googol nine undecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine decillion nine hundred and ninety-nine nonillion nine hundred and ninety-nine octillion nine hundred and ninety-nine septillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quintillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quintillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quadrillion nine hundred and ninety-nine trillion nine hundred and ninety-nine billion nine hundred and ninety-nine million nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine vigintillion nine hundred and ninety-nine novemdecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine octodecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine septendecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine sexdecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quindecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quattuordecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine tredecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine undecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine undecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine decillion nine hundred and ninety-nine nonillion nine hundred and ninety-nine octillion nine hundred and ninety-nine septillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quintillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quintillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quadrillion nine hundred and ninety-nine trillion nine hundred and ninety-nine billion nine hundred and ninety-nine million nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine googol nine undecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine decillion nine hundred and ninety-nine nonillion nine hundred and ninety-nine octillion nine hundred and ninety-nine septillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quintillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quintillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quadrillion nine hundred and ninety-nine trillion nine hundred and ninety-nine billion nine hundred and ninety-nine million nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine vigintillion nine hundred and ninety-nine novemdecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine octodecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine septendecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine sexdecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quindecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quattuordecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine tredecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine undecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine undecillion nine hundred and ninety-nine decillion nine hundred and ninety-nine nonillion nine hundred and ninety-nine octillion nine hundred and ninety-nine septillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quintillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quintillion nine hundred and ninety-nine quadrillion nine hundred and ninety-nine trillion nine hundred and ninety-nine billion nine hundred and ninety-nine million nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine
which as well as being a spectacular number of nines, was actually quite a pleasant surprise – I was expecting an infinite loop. Looking more closely though, I do believe there is a large number of zeros in that array of nines. Specifically, between the googols and the undecillions of which there are two instances. Seems there is potential for a project to do the reverse and actually find where these zeros are!
Today’s lesson learned – neglect the negative integers at your peril!
This code is the first to be placed in the Projects section. To keep track of it, that is the place to be.
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How about a choice between long and short scale?