Jehan Adam

Jehan Adam was a French 15th century mathematician. He was secretary to Nicholle Tilhart, who was notary, secretary and auditor of accounts to King Louis XI of France.

He published a manuscript in 1475 containing the first use of the terms bymillion and trimillion, which gave rise to the modern terms billion and trillion. His usage referred to the long scale values of 1012 and 1018, respectively. These terms have subsequently been revalued in English to the short scale values 109 and 1012, respectively, although the original values remain in long scale countries.

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