Roman Numbers - Laws, Chart | What Are Roman Numerals?

When you think about numericals nowadays, the first thing that springs to mind is the decimal system we use everyday. This system, however, is not the single fashion to represent numbers. There are a lot of methods utilized by distinct cultures worldwide that utilize all sorts of characters. Classified among many one of the method is Roman numbers.

Given that ancient Rome, Roman numerals have become a method of writing numbers utilizing a combination of letters from the Latin alphabet. It persisted throughout the Middle Ages and the modern day, to the point it is still taught in school, that is perhaps why you have stumbled upon this post.

Today, we are gonna to check out Roman numbers, what they are, how they work, and how to change Roman numbers to regular numbers.

What Are Roman Numbers?

Primarily, let's look at a quick look at the history of Roman numbers. Roman numericals were initially utilized by the historic Romans, as you may have expected from the name. They were employed in multiple aspects of the Roman world, including trade, architecture, and even war.

Nowadays, its main use is primarily due to artistic reasons. You might have seen Roman numbers as hour marks on a clock, chapter numbers, page numbering, copyright dates, or in film sequels (e.g., The Godfather Part III).

The Roman number approach includes numbers utilizing a blend of characters from the Latin alphabet. Characters are mixed to form groups that represent numericals. Seven characters, I, V, X, L, C, D, and M, symbolizes the numericals 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, and 1000, separately. You can then blend these numericals to depict any value in the numerical system.

Meaning of the Roman numerals

Although the decimal system is established on the concept of place value, Roman numerals are founded on linear and subtractive principles. This means that a Roman number's numeric values are based on the sum of the values of its individual parts. Another key difference is that the decimal method is established on the number 10. In comparison, Roman numerals are based on the numbers 1 (I), 5 (V) and 10 (X).

Examples

Let's take a look at a few practical examples of Roman numerals.

The electronic game street fighter IV was released in arcades way back in 2008. If we look at the numericals in the name, we see it has a V in it. This is because the number 5 in Roman numerals is represented by the alphabet V. Preceded by it is an I, or 1. Hence, we grasp that this is the 4th to enter in the series utilizing the properties we will talk about down the article.

The movie Star Wars Episode VI was the latest to enter the original trilogy. Observing the value portrayed, it comprises a V ensued by an I. Thus, we will include a 1 to the value of V, which is 5, comprehending this Star Wars movie is the 6th entry in the franchise.

Roman Numerals Chart

To read Roman numbers, it is essential to understand the numeric value of all the characters. To help make this operation easy, here is a chart with every Latin characters with defined number values.

How to Transform from Roman Numerals to Everyday Numbers

Now that we have the handy table of Roman numbers, we can utilize that data to transform numericals back and forth simply. Following these steps, you will change these values any time you want.

Steps to Transform Roman numerals to Everyday Numbers

To convert Roman numbers to everyday numericals, we will use the linear and subtractive principles we went through.

• Start at the leftmost Roman numeral in the group.

• If the Roman numeral to its right is smaller in value, then sum the both values.

• If the Roman number to its right is more in value, subtract the Roman number on the right out of the Roman numbers to its left.

• All you must do now is replicate this method unless you arrive at the end of the Roman numeral group.

Let's see how you can transform Roman numerals with a some examples.

Example 1

Consider the Roman numeral LXXVI.

• Begin with the leftmost Roman number, which is L or 50.

• The Roman numeral to its right is X or 10. Because 10 is less than 50, we add the both values and get 60.

• The Roman number to the right of X is X again. We sum 10 to 60 and the result is 70.

• The Roman number to the right of X is V or 5. Because 5 is less than 70, we add the two values and the result is 75.

• The Roman numeral to the right of V is I or 1. Since 1 is less than 75, we add the two values and get 76.

We halt here at the end of the Roman numeral group. Hence, the Roman numeral LXXVI is equivalent to the regular number 76.

Example 2

Study the Roman number MCMIII.

• Begin with the leftmost Roman number, that is M or 1000.

• The Roman number to its right is C or 100. Because 100 is less than 1000, and it is followed by an M, this value stands at 900.

• The Roman numeral to the right of M is I or 1. Considering 1 is less than 1900, we sum the two values and the result is 1901.

• The Roman numeral to the right of I is I again. We add 1 to 1901 and we find 1902.

• The Roman numeral to the right of I is I again. We add 1 to 1902 and the answer is 1903.

Because we have arrived the end of the Roman numeral group, we halt here with our result. Thus, the Roman numeral MCMIII is equal to the regular number 1903.

With this knowledge and a some practice, you will change Roman numbers to regular numbers like an expert!

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