Aaron O'Neill
Research lead for society, economy, and politics: Europe & global
Get in touch with us nowModern value of basic Roman numerals
Although there are thousands of languages and over a hundred alphabets in use in the world today, most cultures use the same system for displaying numbers. This system is the Arabic numeral system, also called Hindu-Arabic numerals, which uses ten digits (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 0) to display numerical values. This system was developed by Indian mathematicians over 1,500 years ago, and it spread west through Persian and Arab cultures. The work of the Italian mathematician Fibonacci made this system known in Europe, and it proved popular with traders as it was much easier to use when making basic calculations. This system then went global through sixteenth century colonialism and globalization, replacing many of the previously-existing numerical systems, such as the Babylonian and Mayan systems (now considered complicated to use when making calculations).
Roman Numerals
Another system that was replaced by Arabic numerals was the system of Roman numerals. This system was used from as early as 500BCE, until the late-middle ages (which ended around 1500CE). Similarly to the Arabic system, the Roman system used a set number of digits in different combinations to represent different numerical values. The Roman system uses seven individual digits as the foundation of all numbers. The Roman digits with Arabic values are; I = 1, V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, C = 100, D = 500, and M = 1,000.
Combinations
The major difference between Roman and Arabic numerals is the way in which the digits are combined to create different numbers. In Roman numerology, the display of larger numbers requires more individual digits than in Arabic numerology, making it more complicated. In modern mathematics, the value of a digit depends on its position related to the decimal point, whereas in Roman numerals the digit I can come before or after other digits to show if it is more or less than the other numerals, which means that the digit with the lowest value is not always the furthest to the right (for example, IX = 9, whereas XI = 11). If one of the basic numerals is shown with a line above it, this means that the number has been multiplied by a thousand, for example, X with a line above it is equal to 10,000.
Roman Numerals
Another system that was replaced by Arabic numerals was the system of Roman numerals. This system was used from as early as 500BCE, until the late-middle ages (which ended around 1500CE). Similarly to the Arabic system, the Roman system used a set number of digits in different combinations to represent different numerical values. The Roman system uses seven individual digits as the foundation of all numbers. The Roman digits with Arabic values are; I = 1, V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, C = 100, D = 500, and M = 1,000.
Combinations
The major difference between Roman and Arabic numerals is the way in which the digits are combined to create different numbers. In Roman numerology, the display of larger numbers requires more individual digits than in Arabic numerology, making it more complicated. In modern mathematics, the value of a digit depends on its position related to the decimal point, whereas in Roman numerals the digit I can come before or after other digits to show if it is more or less than the other numerals, which means that the digit with the lowest value is not always the furthest to the right (for example, IX = 9, whereas XI = 11). If one of the basic numerals is shown with a line above it, this means that the number has been multiplied by a thousand, for example, X with a line above it is equal to 10,000.
