Roman Numerals

Roman Numeral I V X L C D M
Hindu Arabic/Base Ten 1 5 10 50 100 500 1000

RULES
1. You cannot repeat the same Roman Numeral more than three times in a row, except for M which
can be repeated as many times as necessary.

2. When Roman Numerals decrease or stay the same in value, from left to right, ADD:
Example:
MDCCCLXXVI = 1000 + 500 + 100 + 100 + 100 + 50 + 10 + 10 + 5 + 1
= 1876

3. When Roman Numerals increase in value, from left to right, SUBTRACT.

Except that the following restrictions apply:
- I can only be subtracted from V and X
- X can only be subtracted from L and C
- C can only be subtracted from D and M

Example:
IV = (5 – 1) = 4

4. If it is possible to represent a number in two different ways, you must choose the way that uses
the least amount of subtracting.
Example:
Both CCM and DCCC can be seen to equal 800, but DCCC is the correct representation,
because it has no subtraction in it.

FROM Roman Numerals TO Hindu Arabic/Base Ten

Here are two useful steps:
1. Circle the letter-pairs that increase in value, from left to right:
MMMM C M L X I V

2. Add up each letter, except for the pairs that are circled, which you subtract from each other:
MMMM CM L X IV
= 4000 + (1000 – 100) + 50 + 10 + (5 - 1)
= 4964

Another example.
CMXLIV

=CM XL IV

CM XL IV
= (1000 – 100) + (50 – 10) + (5-1)
FROM Hindu Arabic/Base Ten TO Roman Numerals
Convert 2989 to a Roman Numeral:
1. Write the number as sums of multiples of 1000, 100, 10 and 1:
2989 = 2000 + 900 + 80 + 9
2. Then convert each of these individually:
MM CM LXXX IX
So, the final answer is MMCMLXXXIX.

Convert 4398 to a Roman Numeral.

1. 4398 = 4000 + 300 + 90 + 8

2. = MMMM CCC XC VIII

So the final answer is MMMMCCCXCVIII

Hint for step 2:

Since you break down Hindu Arabic/Base Ten numbers into multiples of 1000, 100, 10 and 1, these
combinations are all you will ever need, to convert any number:
(remember, any multiple of 1000, repeat M as many times as necessary)

1=I 10 = X 100 = C
2 = II 20 = XX 200 = CC
3 = III 30 = XXX 300 = CCC
4 = IV 40 = XL 400 = CD
5=V 50 = L 500 = D
6 = VI 60 = LX 600 = DC
7 = VII 70 = LXX 700 = DCC
8 = VIII 80 = LXXX 800 = DCCC
9 = IX 90 = XC 900 = CM
 Summary

# in Hindu-Arabic / Base 10
Write as:
# = . . . + multiple of 1000 Add if numerals decrease.
+ multiple of 100 Subtract if numerals increase.
+ multiple of 10 Remember:
+ multiple of 1 subtract “right minus left”
Write the Roman for each multiple. NO negatives in Roman!

Roman Numeral

Ex. 1992
Write as: M (dec) C (inc) M (dec) X (inc) C (dec) I (=) I
1992 = 1000 + 900 + 90 + 2 =1000 + (1000-100) + (100-10) + 1+1
= M CM XC II = 1992

MCMXCII