> Roman numerals (for a different example) make all kinds of arithmetic much harder than in Arabic notation. Definitely not for simple addition or subtraction,

> Roman numerals (for a different example) make all kinds of arithmetic much harder than in Arabic notation. Definitely not for simple addition or subtraction, the kind you're likely to do every day haggling over prices or counting things - roman numerals work visually! What is I + II? You just write them together -> III What is VVVV - V? Take just one V away -> VVV. Knowing that IIIII = V or X = VV = IIIIIIIIII only allows you to express things as a shorthand. Also, some numerals allow for a subtraction index, so: X - I = IX (take I from X)