How did the Romans do math?

[ÆNIMA]

With Roman numerals, it's very difficult to do certain math functions, in that you can't carry a one...there's no 0. So..how did they build the aqueducts? Do you think they used Arabic numbers...or just hired the Greeks?

This question came up in Latin class...the proff didn't know the answer.

[pv=nrt]

well apperently they figured it out and made some of the best engineering feats of mankind. I don't doubt they had something for the zero.

[Bilbo]

Uh, the only time romans did any major change in higher mathematics was when they killed Archimedes.

[syzygy]

that's like asking "how were the first words formed? who came up with sounds for letters?"

[ÆNIMA]

No it's not.


Did you know the latin word for rock in a certain case is calculus?

Maybe they used rocks to count:\

[Troll King]

The symbols they used are just that, only symbols. The Romans probably had a method to perform calculations that makes use of those symbols. We would find it hard to understand because we use a different number system. It's like working with a different language; there is a word for "troll" in Swedish, but I sure as hell don't know it. (Come on folks, that's a cue for someone to show off.)

[syzygy]

is it related to this at least: "how did Archimedes come up with a highly accurate value for pi?" his method was understandable, but what compelled him to find it out?

[Craxer]

kiss my gluteus maximus!

[Jerome Scuggs]

I'm sure the number 0 played an important role in the aqueducts, such as "How tall will it be?" and "how many stones do they need to make an arch?"

what can be so hard about putting 10-11 stones together to make an arch, multiplied by about 15000?

[ÆNIMA]

in those numbers 0 is just a placemat, it's nothing necessary...they didn't have a symbol (in the numeral system as we know it) that explain Zero, nothingness...why would you need a symbol for something that's nonexistant?

And for TK...wouldn't we find some record of this other system?

[geekbot]

Interesting question. Google found these intersesting answers.

Background: http://www.novaroma.org/via_romana/numbers.html

How to do calculations:
http://mathforum.org/dr.math/faq/faq.roman.html

[syzygy]

Originally posted by ÆNIMA
wouldn't we find some record of this other system?

maybe one day, in a thousand years, we will find it, and it'll all be thanks to tk's brilliant deduction.

[Bilbo]

Originally posted by Troll King
The symbols they used are just that, only symbols. The Romans probably had a method to perform calculations that makes use of those symbols. We would find it hard to understand because we use a different number system. It's like working with a different language; there is a word for "troll" in Swedish, but I sure as hell don't know it. (Come on folks, that's a cue for someone to show off.)

It's troll, but you pronounce it slightly differently.

[Troll King]

Now I know, and knowing's half the battle.

[Verthanthi]

Does it sound like "Trool" by any chance?