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

When you imagine numericals nowadays, the first thing that springs to mind is the decimal method we utilize everyday. This method, however, is not the single way to depict numbers. There are several systems used by distinct cultures worldwide that use all types of characters. One such approach is Roman numerals.

Since ancient Rome, Roman numbers have become a method of writing numbers utilizing a combination of characters from the Latin alphabet. It remained during the Middle Ages and the modern day, to the point it is still taught in school, which is probably why you have come across this article.

Now, we are going to look at Roman numerals, what they are, how they operate, and how to change Roman numbers to normal numbers.

What Are Roman Numbers?

Primarily, let's take a quick look at the past of Roman numerals. Roman numericals were initially used by the ancient Romans, as you might have predicted from the name. They were employed in many aspects of the Roman world, including business, architecture, and even warfare.

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

The Roman number system includes numericals employing a mixture of letters from the Latin alphabet. Letters are combined to create groups that depict numericals. Seven alphabets, I, V, X, L, C, D, and M, represent the numbers 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, and 1000, separately. You can then combine these numbers to depict any value in the number system.

Meaning of the Roman numerals

Although the decimal system is founded on the ideas of place value, Roman numbers are founded on cumulative and subtractive principles. This means that a Roman number's numeric values are established on the sum of the values of its particular parts. One more important difference is that the decimal system is based on the number 10. In comparison, Roman numerals are founded on the numericals 1 (I), 5 (V) and 10 (X).

Examples

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

The electronic game street fighter IV was released in arcades back in 2008. If we observe the number in the name, we see it includes a V in it. This is because the numerical 5 in Roman numerals is described by the alphabet V. Preceded by it is an I, or 1. Therefore, we comprehend that this is the 4th to enter in the series utilizing the properties we will talk about further ahead.

The film Star Wars Episode VI was the latest to enter the original trilogy. Observing the value represented, it includes a V followed by an I. Therefore, we will include a 1 to the value of V, that is 5, letting us know this Star Wars movie is the 6th entry in the series.

Roman Numerals Chart

To read Roman numerals, it is crucial to understand the numeric value of all the letters. To help make this function easy, here is a chart with all Latin letters with assigned number values.

How to Change from Roman Numbers to Everyday Numericals

Now that we have the handy table of Roman numerals, we can use that information to change numbers back and forth promptly. Following these steps, you will convert these values whenever you want.

Steps to Change Roman numbers to Decimal Numericals

To change Roman numerals to regular numbers, we will utilize the cumulative and subtractive principles we talked about.

• Begin with the leftmost Roman numeral in the group.

• If the Roman number to its right is lesser in value, then sum the two values.

• If the Roman number to its right is higher in value, deduct the Roman numeral on the right out of the Roman numeral to its left.

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

Let's check out how you can change Roman numbers with a some examples.

Example 1

Consider the Roman numeral LXXVI.

• Initiate with the leftmost Roman number, that is L or 50.

• The Roman number to its right is X or 10. Because 10 is lesser than 50, we sum the both values and get 60.

• The Roman numeral to the right of X is X again. We add 10 to 60 and get 70.

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

• The Roman number to the right of V is I or 1. Considering 1 is less than 75, we add the both values and we find 76.

We halt here at the end of the Roman numeral group. Therefore, the Roman number LXXVI is equal to the decimal number 76.

Example 2

Consider the Roman number MCMIII.

• Start at the leftmost Roman number, that is M or 1000.

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

• The Roman numeral to the right of M is I or 1. Because 1 is less than 1900, we add the two values and get 1901.

• The Roman number to the right of I is I again. We add 1 to 1901 and the result is 1902.

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

Since we have reached the end of the Roman numeral group, we halt here with our result. Thus, the Roman number MCMIII is equivalent to the regular number 1903.

With this data and a some practice, you will change Roman numbers to decimal numbers like a pro!

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