Sci fi story where the stars blink out 1 by 1 at the end

[themossman]

Struggling to remember the author/name of a sci fi short story (not that recent, possible from the 60s/70s, author I think of great repute in that sphere) where a group of monks were trying to calculate the age of the universe and when they did the world would end. Bloke invents a machine to do it for them and when it succeeds he looks up at the sky and the stars are going out one by one. Or something like that. Please help! I have a feeling it's also been name checked by martin amis, possibly in his autobiography, though i may be wrong.

[CT]

I think it's called 'the Nine million/billion names of God'. I'll go and check.

[CT]

Here you go. The Nine Billion Names of God.
http://www.geocities.com/rojodos/docs/9000000000.htm
Looks like it's all here as well.

[themossman]

Nice one ta, that's it.

[mycatis]

Great little story isn't it? Arthur C Clarke is one of my favourite authors ever! I've never read a book of his that I haven't enjoyed.