ROMAN NUMERALS

There are only seven symbols for Roman numerals:

I V X L C D M

1 5 10 50 100 500 1000

Some mnemonic [assisting the memory] devices:

C = century [100 years] L = 50
M = millennium [1000 years] D = demi-millennium [500]

Digits to the right add up. Add for numbers up to three:

I II III VI VII VIII X XI XII XIII

1 2 3 6 7 8 10 11 12 13

XX XXX C CI CXI CXIII CC CCC CCCXXXIII MMM

20 30 100 101 111 113 200 300 333 3000

The number four and the number nine have to be subtracted by digits on the left:

IV	XL	XLIX	CD	IX	XC	XCIV	CM	CMXLIX
4	40	49	400	9	90	94	900	949

The following graph indicates what digits can be subtracted from what digits

"I" can be subtracted from "V" and "X" only; "X" from "L" and "C" only; etc.:

I_____ V____ X____ L____ C_____ D____ M
I I X X C C

Examples:

XIII	XIV	XV	XVI	XIX	XX
13	14	15	16	19	20
XXIII	XXV	XXVI	XXIX	XXXIX	XL
23	25	26	29	39	40
XLIII	XLIV	XLV	XLVI	XLIX	L
43	44	45	46	49	50
LIII	LIV	LV	LVI	LIX	LX
53	54	55	56	59	60
LXIII	XCIV	CV	CDVI	D	DI
63	94	105	406	500	501
MDCCLXXVI	MDCCCV	MCM	MCMXCVI	MMI	MMII
1776	1805	1900	1996	2001	2002

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Miriam Claude Meijer, Ph.D.
02/16/05

C = century [100 years]	L = 50
M = millennium [1000 years]	D = demi-millennium [500]

I	II	III	VI	VII	VIII	X	XI	XII	XIII
1	2	3	6	7	8	10	11	12	13
XX	XXX	C	CI	CXI	CXIII	CC	CCC	CCCXXXIII	MMM
20	30	100	101	111	113	200	300	333	3000