This is due to the special methods for representing 4 and 9 mentioned above. You might have noticed that the chart above only goes from 1 to 3,999. How to Represent Large Numbers in Roman Numerals Then perform the conversion on each group and combine them to get the Roman numeral equivalent: * 2,000 = MM How to Convert a Number into Roman Numeralsīecause Roman numerals are often ordered from largest to smallest, break the number you're converting up into groups of thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones, and perform the conversion on each group.įor example, if you want to convert the number 2,014 (the year freeCodeCamp was founded) into Roman numerals, break the number up as follows: 2,014 = 2,000 + 10 + 4 Just scroll through the table or use Ctrl/Cmd + f to find the value you're looking for: Number Here is a table of numbers and their Roman numeral equivalent, followed by more in-depth explanations about how to perform the conversions. Also, the numeral IX, or 9, would be read as "one less than 10" (10 - 1). The Roman numeral IV, or 4, would be read as "one less than 5" (5 - 1). But when certain symbols of lesser value are placed before another symbol, their values are subtracted.įor example, the numeral VI, or 6, would be read as "five plus one" (5 + 1), and XI, or 11, is "ten plus one" (10 + 1).īut the methods for representing 4 and 9 are special. When a symbol of equal or lesser value is placed after another symbol, their values are added. The value of a numeral is determined by its position in relation to other symbols. Here is a table of the symbols used in the Roman numeral system: 1 In this system, symbols are used to represent different numbers, with I representing 1, V representing 5, X representing 10, L representing 50, C representing 100, D representing 500, and M representing 1,000. They are used to represent numbers in the decimal system, but they are not used for mathematical operations. See how 4 is notated on the clocks using Roman numbers around you.Roman numerals are a numerical system that originated in ancient Rome. The most popular theory is that the notation IIII has become conventional in the industry because it looked well balanced on the radial dial plate design and has remained on clocks and watches ever since.Įven the clock numbers you are familiar with have an unexpected history. In fact, you can see the notation IIII on mechanical turret clocks that were made before around the 17th century. In the middle ages in Europe, IIII was generally used, not IV, to express the Roman numeral 4 until around the 17th century. Somebody thought IV was not easily understandable because it resembled VI and was also well balanced with VIII, which was placed in its symmetrical position. The notation IIII was used for the clock at the earliest Wells Cathedral, which was built at the end of the 14th century in England, and has been conventional since then. One holds that in the late 14th century, Charles V, the king of France, told a watchmaker to change IV to IIII, because he considered IV to be bad luck as it was created by subtracting 1 (I) from his title 5 (V). There are a variety of theories about this. However, there are many cases where IIII is used at the 4:00 position on the dial plates of clocks that use Roman numerals. The numerical notation of 4 is IV in Roman numerals.
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