Edward Kasner

Edward Kasner (1878–1955) was an American mathematician. He is famous for creating the word googol and the word googolplex.

Kasner went to Columbia University and received his Ph.D. (a degree (measure) of learning) in 1899.

Around 1920, Kasner decided to make a good, catchy name for a very big number (one, followed by a hundred zeros).  While he was walking with his nephews Milton (c. 1911–1980) and Edwin Sirotta in New Jersey's Palisades, Kasner asked them to think of good names. Milton was the one who said "googol".

In 1940, with James Roy Newman, Kasner made a book about math called Mathematics and the Imagination . It was in this book that the name "googol" was first used.

The website Google was named after Kasner's number googol.

Books



Other websites
 History from the Google website

Category:1878 births
Category:1955 deaths
Kasner, Edward
Category:Columbia University alumni
Category:Scientists from New York City