The Roman Numerals

Summary

In this paper I will be talking about the Roman Numerals, a system that started showing up in the early 500 B.C. This system consists in symbols used to represent different numbers, most of these symbols have a meaning behind that has to do with using the hands. Just as we have rules in our system they also had their own rules that needed to be followed. They developed a way to write numbers in a larger way by placing bars in different places when writing a number, this meant that the number was being multiplied by a certain quantity. Addition and Subtraction is a method like the one we use now a day but they had their own way to work it out. The Roman numerals did not include a zero in their system because supposedly it was not necessary.

Roman numerals began showing up in the early 500 B.C. This system was developed to communicate. Some of these symbols have a meaning behind like number “I” which is one finger and represents number one, “V” which is number five since our hand makes kind of like a V shape starting from our thumb to our pinky. “X” means ten and since five plus five is ten and if you put two Vs together they make a X. “M” comes from the Latin “mille” which means thousand, “C” also from Latin “centum” which is hundred. It is very impressive how romans came up with their system, they just applied knowledge and imagination by looking at their hands.

Just as every system has rules, there are also very important and basic rules for roman numerals that must be followed. Numbers go from left to right, the only numbers on the left that can be subtracted are, “I”, “X” or “C”. Only one number can be subtracted, for example if you are trying to write twenty seven you cannot write it like this, XXIIIX ...

... middle of paper ...

... they would have to do is add a line at the beginning and another line at the end. The lines mean that the number is being multiplied by hundred. Here is the same number multiplied by hundred.

_______

| XVIII | This is the presentation of the number 1,800,000 since the number now has the three bars which means that in total is being multiplied by a hundred thousand.

In my opinion knowing the Roman numerals is very important because as of today we still find this system in our everyday life. Whenever we need to know the time we turn and we might see an analogue clock with roman numbers. We find them in text books as the information that we are reading is being categorized and the same while taking a test that contains multiple questions. When we are watching TV they appear at the end a movie or a TV show we even see them in sports like in the Super Bowl.