Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ut-sally.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!security!genrad!grkermit!masscomp!clyde!floyd!harpo!seismo!ut-sally!crandell 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