Multiplication 2000 Years Ago

Correction:

XVIII times IX is CLIII.

This may be the reasoin The Empire faded away! :-)

Ref 'Why is there no cream in cream crackers?'

For the same reason there is no ham in hamburgers.

The Romans, I believe, used to add and subtract, that's all multiplicatoin and subtraction really is, but faster.

Cream in food (cream soda, cream donuts) is vanilla!

Hmmm.

You've corrected the calculation in an odd way. You write:

XVIII times IX is CLIII.

Seems to me that 18 times 9 would be closer to 162. (CLXII)

I suspect you meant to write: XVII times IX is CLIII.

In any case, it points out the difficulties in dealing with Roman numerals. If you look at post #10, you'll see that your very small error pales in comparison to the many errors there.

On a recent PBS show about "0" they showed the Romans multiplying with something that looked like a checker board - moving tokens around. Thank God for the Indians (or whoever you believe thought of it first).

The Mayas from Yucatan Mexico invent the "0"

Invented is not necessarily the right word.

They may well have been first, but western civilization whose math and "place based" system of numbers is at the root of all current math and number systems got the zero from the Arabs.

We don't call them Arabic numerals for nothing.

The Mayan system was "lost" to history and only relatively recently re-discovered.

We call them Arabic numbers because the Arabs popularized them. But they got the zero from the (Hindu) Indians, or some say, Mesopotamians.

Much ado about nothing.

I really don't know , because 17x9 equals to 153??? and not 133

Just like everyone else, only slower by adding.

Maybe we have to give the Romans credit for knowing their times tables and some basic math skills. For example:

VII time IX is LIV

X times IX is XL

LIV plus XL is MLIII

If you say it - Seven times nine is fifty four. Ten times nine is ninety and fifty four plus ninety is one hundred fifty three.

I may be a little rusty on my Roman Numerals, but I think I know my math fairly well. There are a number of inaccuracies in this calculation, in both the Roman Numerals and the text:

VII time IX is LIV (No - VII times IX is LXIII)

X times IX is XL (No - X times IX is XC, since 100 is represented by C, not L)

LIV plus XL is MLIII (No - LIV (54) plus XL (40) is actually XCIV (94). I assume you meant the answer to be 153, which is CLIII; MLIII is actually 1053)

If you say it - Seven times nine is fifty four (No - seven times nine is actually 63). Ten times nine is ninety and fifty four plus ninety is one hundred fifty three (No - fifty four plus ninety is actually one hundred forty four, but that is really irrelevant, since what you actually want is sixty three plus ninety, which is one hundred fifty three).

In summary, I think what you meant to say is:

VII times IX is LXIII (7x9=63)

X times IX is XC (10x9=90)

LXIII plus XC is CLIII (63+90=153)

I hope I got it right!

7 x 9 ≠ 54.

All started with the Sumerian civilization 6000 years ago, and is credited officially with over 100 firsts including math, written language, plumbing, multistorey buildings, etc.. and living "gods" among them, to whom they credited all of their knowledge. (called the "nefilim". I believe the romans added to multiply, and subtracted to divide.

This is kinda cool, and probably similar to what the Romans did on their multiplication boards:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54wSmKq66Is

youtube - the answer to all questions.

This may really not be so difficult as it is being made out.

XVII * X = CLXX

XVII * I = XVII

CLXX - XVII = CLIII

Therefore, XVII * IX = CLIII

I frequently would take the same approach to do similar math problems in my head (though using mental Arabic numerals, rather than Roman).