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Roman Numerals

The document outlines the rules for forming Roman numerals, which consist of seven symbols: I, V, X, L, C, D, and M, each representing specific values. It explains how to add and subtract values based on the placement of symbols, the limitations on repetition, and how to write large numbers using bars. Additionally, it provides a conversion guide from Roman numerals to decimal numbers and includes a ready reckoner for quick reference.

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10 views

Roman Numerals

The document outlines the rules for forming Roman numerals, which consist of seven symbols: I, V, X, L, C, D, and M, each representing specific values. It explains how to add and subtract values based on the placement of symbols, the limitations on repetition, and how to write large numbers using bars. Additionally, it provides a conversion guide from Roman numerals to decimal numbers and includes a ready reckoner for quick reference.

Uploaded by

sonyadzayo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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RULES FOR FORMATION OF ROMAN

NUMERALS
For beginners, Roman numerals might seem
like a whole different language that has
nothing to do with mathematics. However if
you learn the basic Roman numerals rules, it
is very easy to understand how they work
and to ‘decipher’ even the largest Roman
numbers. Here are the basics for forming
numbers with Roman numerals:
How Many Roman Numerals Are There?
There are only seven Roman numerals:
I, V, X, L, C, D and M.
In the Roman system, numbers are formed
with only these symbols and these seven
letters are used to make up thousands of
other numbers.
The values are as follows:
I=1
V=5
X = 10
L = 50
C = 100
D = 500
M = 1000
Note that the number 0 is not existent in the
Roman system.
Rule 1: Repetition Means Addition
In many numbers formed with Roman
numerals, you will notice that symbols are
usually repeated. The rule is that if a symbol
is repeated, the values are added.
Example:
I=1
II= 1 + 1 = 2
III = 1 + 1 + 1 = 3
X= 10
XX = 10 + 10 = 20
XXX = 10 + 10 + 10 = 30
C = 100
CC = 100 + 100 = 200
CCC = 100 + 100 + 100 = 300
Rule 2: Some Symbols Are Never Repeated
The symbols V, L, D are never repeated
in a Roman number. This is because ‘VV’
would give you the value of 10 which is
already represented by the symbol X. In the
same fashion, ‘LL’ would already be equal to
C and ‘DD’ to M.
Rule 3: When Should I Add?
In any given Roman number, if a symbol is
placed after a larger (or equal) one, you add
the values. In other words, when you see a
smaller number is on the right of a larger
one, you add.
Example:
VI = V + I = 5 + 1 = 6
VII = V + I + I = 5 + 1 + 1 = 7
XI = X + I = 10 + 1 = 11
XII = X + I + I = 10 + 1 + 1 = 12
DLXII = D + L + X + I + I = 500 + 50 + 10 +
1 + 1 = 562
Rule 4: When Should I Subtract?
In any given Roman number, if a symbol is
placed before a larger one, you subtract. In
other words, when you see a smaller number
is on the left of a larger one, you subtract.
A note to remember here is that while you
can add more than two values, you cannot
subtract more than one value (symbol) from
a Roman numeral.
Example:
IV = V − I = 5 − 1 = 4
IX = X − I = 10 − 1 = 9
XL = L - X = 50 - 10 = 40
XC = C - X = 100 - 10 = 90
Rule 5: Don’t Repeat More Than Three Times
In the Roman numbering system, symbols
cannot be repeated more than three times in
a row. The reasoning behind this is similar to
the symbols V, L, D never being repeated at
all.
It is because if you were to repeat I four
times to get the value 4, you would not write
the number as ‘IIII’ but as ‘IV’. Similarly, 40
would be represented as ‘XL’ rather than
‘XXXX’.
Rule 6: How to Write Really Large Numbers
With Roman Numerals
The largest Roman numeral being M (1000),
the above rules mean that the largest
number that could be formed with Roman
numerals is 3,999, which is MMMCMXCIX.
However, the Romans have developed a
system of drawing bars above the symbols to
represent greater numbers. In the Roman
system, numbers greater than 1000 (M) are
formed by placing a line/dash over the
symbol. The bar placed over a given number
multiplies its value by 1000.
Example:
V̅ = 5 * 1000 = 5000
X̅ = 10 * 1000 = 10,000
X̅X̅V̅ = 25 * 1000 = 25,000
D̅ = 500 * 1000 = 500,000
M̅ = 1000 * 1000 = 1,000,000
How to Convert Roman Numerals to
Decimals
The above rules mean that when trying to
convert a number formed with Roman
numerals, one has to subgroup the Roman
number in thousands, hundreds, tens and
ones. This will help determine whether you
need to add or subtract.
An important note to remember is to start
grouping from the right and working your
way to the left. This way you see which
numbers come before or after a larger one
and thus, if you need to add or subtract.
Here are some examples:
XXXVIII = X + X + X + V + I + I + I = 38
XLIV = XL + IV = (50 -10) + (5-1) = 40 + 4
= 44
CXLII = C + XL + I + I = 100 + 40 + 2 =
142
MCMLXXIV = M + CM + + L + XX + IV =
1000 + 900 + 50 + 20 + 4 = 1974
MMCMXCIX = MM + CM + XC + IX = 2000

ROMAN NUMERALS
Any of the letters representing numbers in the
Roman numerical system: I = 1, V = 5, X = 10, L =
50, C = 100, D = 500, M = 1,000. In this system a
letter placed after another of greater value adds
(thus XVI or xvi is 16), whereas a letter placed
before another of greater value subtracts (thus XC is
90).

How do you explain Roman numerals?


ARABIC ROMAN NUMERALS ARABIC ROMAN NUMERALS
NUMBERS NUMBERS
1 I 51 LI
2 II 52 LII
3 III 53 LIII
4 IV 54 LIV
5 V 55 LV
6 VI 56 LVI
7 VII 57 LVII
8 VII 58 LVIII
9 IX 59 LIX
10 X 60 LX
11 XI 61 LXI
12 XII 62 LXII
13 XIII 63 LXIII
14 IVX 64 LXIV
15 VX 65 LXV
16 VIX 66 LXVI
17 VIIX 67 LXVII
18 VIIIX 68 LXVIII
19 XIX 69 LXIX
20 XX 70 LXX
21 XXI 71 LXXI
22 XXII 72 LXXII
23 XXIII 73 LXXIII
24 XXIV 74 LXXIV
25 XXV 75 LXXV
26 XXVI 76 LXXVI
27 XXVII 77 LXXVII
28 XXVIII 78 LXXVIII
29 XXIX 79 LXXIX
30 XXX 80 LXXX
31 XXXI 81 LXXXI
32 XXXII 82 LXXXII
33 XXXIII 83 LXXXIII
34 XXXIV 84 LXXXIV
35 XXXV 85 LXXXV
36 XXXVI 86 LXXXVI
37 XXXVII 87 LXXXVII
38 XXXVIII 88 LXXXVIII
39 XXXIX 89 LXXXIX
40 XL 90 XC
41 XLI 91 XCI
42 XLII 92 XCII
43 XLIII 93 XCIII
44 XLIV 94 XCIV
45 XLV 95 XCV
46 XLVI 96 XCVI
47 XLVII 97 XCVII
48 XLVIII 98 XCVIII
49 XLIX 99 XCIX
50 L 100 C

Roman numerals are the numbers that were used in


ancient Rome, which employed combinations of
letters from the Latin alphabet (I, V, X, L, C, D and
M). Numbers are represented by combinations of
the following symbols: Numbers are represented by
putting the symbols into various combinations in
different orders.

Roman Numeral Ready Reckoner

I=1 I=2 I=3 I=4 I=5 I=6 I=7 I=8 I=9 I = 10 I = 11


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII XIX
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX

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