<<My wife, who is working with some sixth graders, asked me about the
history of scientific notation. So far, I have not found any mention
of the topic in the standard history of math books-it's not in the
index in those I have tried. Encyclopedia Britannica on line, as well
as a host of other references, have come up blank. I would appreciate
any help that can be found on this topic.>>
Scientific notation was invented by---who else?--- Archimedes, in his work
_The Sand Reckoner_.
A translation is available in James R. Newman, _The World of Mathematics_,
(New York: Simon and Schuster, 1956), volume I, pp 418-429. Archimedes's
"Cattle Problem" is in the same volume, pp 197-199.
-- James A Landau