symbols value

I 1

V 5

X 10

L 50

C 100

D 500

M 1000

The Basics...The history of Roman numerals and Roman mathematics isn't well documented. As humans likely began counting by using the simplest things available, the fingers, mathematics developed in a base unit of 10. Actively involved in trade and the use of monetary units, the Romans required a system where counting was more than fingers. The development of the numeric symbols may have been closely related, originally, to the shape of the hand: I for a single finger, V for the whole hand outstretched, X for both hands in the same manner.Aside from the lack of the "zero" unit in the Roman system, the modern system and the ancient are remarkably similar. Considering that the Romans spread their culture throughout the western world, it really isn't a surprise that many numerical terms have a basis in Latin.

EXAMPLES:

• VIII = 5+3 = 8

• IX = 10-1 = 9

• XL = 50-10 = 40

• XC = 100-10 = 90

• MCMLXXXIV =

1000+(1000-100)+50

+30+(5-1) = 1984

Although the Roman numerals are now written with letters of the Roman alphabet, they were originally independent symbols.only I and X happened to be letters in their alphabet. One ‘numerical revolution’ has it that the V represented a hand, and that the X was made by placing two Vs on top of each other, one inverted. However, the Etrusco-Roman numerals actually appear to derive from

notches on tally sticks, which continued to be used by Italian and Dalmatian shepherds into the 19th century The hundredth V or X was marked with a box or circle, thus 500 was like a Ɔ

History of Roman numbers

x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 x6 x7 x8 x9

ones

tens

hundreds

thousands

ten thousands

I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX

X XX XXX XL L LX LXX LXXX XC

C CC CCC CD D DC DCC DCCC CM

M MM MMM

NUMERICAL SYSTEM OF ANCIENT ROMES1-09 ISSUE NO. 17

BY: ADIL, MATEEN, IRFAN, ABIYYU AND ADA

(The correct Roman way to show multiples of 1,000, which would be indicated with a line ABOVE the number rather than beside, has been replaced with an underscore only because of the conve-nience of modern html textual.)