Roman Numerals

See Numerals

It is assumed that, although Kandemirian and Monwaingi numerals have a different base number, they are otherwise like Arabic numerals with a symbol for zero so that the base number is the numeral for "one" followed by the numeral for "zero." They are not like the cumbersome Roman numerals which we still use for some purposes but not for calculation.

Roman numerals are so complicated that authors can get them wrong. In Colin Dexter, The Daughters Of Cain (London, 1995), Chapter Four, p. 20, Inspector Morse thinks that 1993 requires fourteen characters in Roman numerals:

MDCCCCLXXXXIII

M = 1000

D =   500

CCCC = 400

L = 50

XXXX = 40

III = 3

But he is wrong. It requires eight (which is still a lot):

MCMXCIII

M = 1000

CM = 900

XC = 90

III = 3

There is always some connection, however remote, between whatever we read.

Good night.