Roman numerals

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Numerical system of ancient Rome

For other uses, see Roman numeral (disambiguation).

Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and remained the usual way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Middle Ages. Numbers in this system are represented by combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet. The basic symbols are I, V, X, L, C, D, and M, which stand for 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, and 1000 respectively.

History

The use of Roman numerals dates back to the Etruscan civilization, which influenced the early Romans. The system was developed to meet the needs of a civilization that was growing in complexity and required a reliable method for recording numbers, especially for trade and commerce.

Symbols and Their Values

The Roman numeral system uses seven symbols:

• I = 1
• V = 5
• X = 10
• L = 50
• C = 100
• D = 500
• M = 1000

Rules for Formation

Roman numerals are formed according to specific rules:

• Repeating a numeral up to three times represents addition of the number. For example, III = 3.
• Writing a smaller numeral before a larger numeral indicates subtraction. For example, IV = 4.
• Writing a smaller numeral after a larger numeral indicates addition. For example, VI = 6.

Modern Usage

Roman numerals are still used today in various contexts:

• Clock faces often use Roman numerals to mark the hours.
• Book chapters and movie sequels are frequently numbered using Roman numerals.
• Important events, such as the Olympic Games and the Super Bowl, use Roman numerals to denote the edition of the event.

Related Pages

• Numeral system
• Ancient Rome
• Latin alphabet
• Etruscan civilization
• Clock
• Olympic Games
• Super Bowl

See Also

• List of numeral systems
• History of mathematics
• Number theory