The IUPAC convention for group designation numbers the groups from 1 to 18 with the Lithium group numbered 1 and the inert gases labeled 18. The older convention of designating the groups by Roman numeral has several variations. The Octet or a/b style used in this work is that which designates the lighter transition elements with the letter a and the heavier octet of elements with b. The inert gases are designated with the number 0.
Controversy once surrounded the naming of the superheavy elements, IUPAC chose names for several of the elements which were at variance with usage going back to the seventies. To review the alternatives that were once the center of dispute, select one of the alternative naming systems