XIV
+ IX
-----
???? What do??? How math???
Thank Goddess for the Arabs, and Arabic numerals, amirite?
Actually, I think I *can* do that problem. 14 plus 9 is 23, so break the V into II, drop the I from IX, and add the remainder, you get XXIII. Still, that might not work for other problems.
EDIT: I found this on Google: http://www.pims.math.ca/~hoek/opinions/Romans/ I don't really understand very well, but I think the basic idea is that the Roman numeral system is designed with the abacus in mind, and that it works a bit like the binary clock my friend Brooke has, in that you put a certain number of beads in different places depending on how many of a certain letter there is. From their explanation, I gather that the Roman system is actually a hell of a lot more simple than the Arabic system in some ways, once you understand it, and things like multiplication and division are especially easy in the Roman system when you know what to do.
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