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From: James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: "A diagram of C23 basic types"
Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2025 14:25:52 -0400
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On 4/8/25 07:20, Michael S wrote:
> On Tue, 8 Apr 2025 10:54:12 -0000 (UTC)
....
> The question to which I found no answer by googling is when Americans
> themselves decided that billion means 1e9.

I generally find Wikipedia a more useful source that Google for this
kind of information.

The previously referenced Wikipedia article on long scales versus short
scales asserts that "The short scale was never widespread before its
general adoption in the United States. It has been taught in American
schools since the early 1800s"

It cites " Smith, David Eugene (1953) [first published 1925]. History of
Mathematics. Vol. II. Courier Dover Publications. p. 81. ISBN
978-0-486-20430-7." as the source for that claim.

It also says "The first American appearance of the short scale value of
billion as 109 was published in the Greenwood Book of 1729, written
anonymously by Prof. Isaac Greenwood of Harvard College.", citing the
same reference. This does not contradict the first statement - it might
have taken 70 years to become widespread from the first time it appeared.

And finally, it says "In the United States, the short scale has been
taught in school since the early 19th century. It is therefore used
exclusively"

Citing "Cambridge Dictionaries Online. Cambridge University Press.
Retrieved 21 August 2011." as it's source for that statement.