Definition:Roman Numerals/Uses

Uses of Roman Numerals

The Roman numerals are used today almost solely for enumeration in certain traditional contexts:

$(1): \quad$ The presentation of years in dates, especially embedded in the masonry of buildings to indicate its year of construction

$(2): \quad$ In the context of the cartesian plane, Roman numerals are traditionally used to enumerate the quadrants

$(3): \quad$ Enumerations of lists, particularly when sublists are required which (because of the presentational style selected by the author) need different styles of presentation, for example: "See section $1 \ \text{(a)} \ \text{(iii)}$".

$(4): \quad$ In the field of statistics, the nomenclature of type $\text I$ errors and type $\text {II}$ errors

Arithmetic using Roman numerals is cumbersome and pointless, although some sadistic and worthless grade-school arithmetic texts insist on setting such operations as exercises.

Sources

• 2014: Christopher Clapham and James Nicholson: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Mathematics (5th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): number systems