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Those roman numerals don't help with the multiplication at all.
by makmanalp 16y ago
Those roman numerals don't help with the multiplication at all.
- btilly 16y agoThey weren't meant to. The purpose of Roman numerals was to be a convenient notation that you would read on and off of an abacus. All actual calculations were done on an abacus.
- makmanalp 16y agoRight. That's why "for a Roman, mental multiplication was exceedingly difficult". The representation didn't lend itself to mental calculation.