What are a score and five more interesting facts about the ancient Roman numeral system?

Answer 1

1 Its symbol for nought is N which is not needed

2 Its numerals have positional place values that are self evident

3 It once needed only 5 symbols which were I V X L and C

4 It used single or multiple brackets to increase the values of numerals

5 It once was I) for 500 and (I) for 1000 later changed to D and M

6 Its values are: M=1000 D=500 C=100 L=50 X=10 V=5 and I=1

7 It needs less numerals than todays Hindu-Arabic numeral system

8 It used superscripted numerals to increase the value of numerals

9 Its equivalent of 1,000,000,000,000 is (M)(M) or 1.0*1012 in scientific notation

10 It doesn't use decimals

11 It used fractions only to a limited extent

12 It's still used extensively today

13 It;s used by VIPs to nominate their names

14 It never used IV for 4 for fear of offending the Roman god Jupiter

15 It's quite capable of performing the 4 operations of arithmetic

16 Its numberals can sometimes be abridged yet retaining their original values

17 It was conceived by the Etruscans who once ruled the Romans

18 Its original rules governing it were changed in the Middle Ages

19 It's now MMXIV for 2014 but it once was MMXIIII or as IMMXV

20 It's the perfect prerequisite to learning algebra

21 It was superseded by the Hindu-Arabic numeral system in the Middle Ages

22 It once was calculated on a beaded abacus counting device

23 Its fractional equivalent of a 1/2 is S

24 Its equivalent of VIIIS is SIX which means 8.5 = 10-1.5

25 It was Julius Caesar who used Roman numerals in his calculations to extend the Roman year of 10 months to 12 months known as the Julian calendar which was modified in the year of MDLXXXII (1582) by Pope Gregory XIII (13) known today as the Gregorian calendar