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From: crandell@ut-sally.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.math
Subject: Re: Rules for Roman Numerals? - (nf)
Message-ID: <879@ut-sally.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 31-Jan-84 18:30:12 EST
Article-I.D.: ut-sally.879
Posted: Tue Jan 31 18:30:12 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 2-Feb-84 01:18:54 EST
References: <5166@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 18

> I've also a closely
> related program which takes Roman numerals of a much more general nature
> (e.g. MIM and IVX) and gives the Arabic notation version.

I think someone should point out that the traditional syntax of Roman
numerals prohibits strings of symbols of ascending order whose length
exceeds two, for the rather obvious reason that subtraction is not
associative.  For example, does IVX mean (IV)X or I(VX)?  Standard
usage has never required the members of the ascending sequence to have
adjacent values; e.g., 9 has generally been IX.  (The sequence VIIII
has been seen, but usually only in the same context as IIII for 4;
VIV is essentially unheard of.)
-- 

    Jim Crandell, C. S. Dept., The University of Texas at Austin
               {ihnp4,seismo,ctvax}!ut-sally!crandell