1. **State the problem:** We are given the population of a town in 2010 as $1.8 \times 10^{6}$ and in 2012 as $9 \times 10^{3}$. We need to find how many times the population in 2010 is compared to 2012. 2. **Write down the populations:** - Population in 2010: $1.8 \times 10^{6}$ - Population in 2012: $9 \times 10^{3}$ 3. **Set up the ratio:** To find how many times the 2010 population is compared to 2012, divide the 2010 population by the 2012 population: $$\text{Ratio} = \frac{1.8 \times 10^{6}}{9 \times 10^{3}}$$ 4. **Simplify the ratio:** $$\frac{1.8}{9} \times \frac{10^{6}}{10^{3}} = 0.2 \times 10^{3}$$ 5. **Calculate the powers of ten:** $$0.2 \times 10^{3} = 0.2 \times 1000 = 200$$ 6. **Interpretation:** The population in 2010 is 200 times the population in 2012. **Final answer:** The population in 2010 is **200 times** the population in 2012.