Roman to Binary Converter



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Converting a Roman Numeral to Binary

Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and are based on combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet: I, V, X, L, C, D, and M. Each letter has a specific value, and the value of the Roman numeral is calculated by summing these values, with adjustments made for specific rules where a smaller numeral appears before a larger one.

To convert a Roman numeral to binary, the Roman numeral is first converted to its decimal (base-10) equivalent by summing the values of the individual letters according to the rules of Roman numerals. Then, the resulting decimal number is converted to binary (base-2).

For example, the Roman numeral CXVII can be converted to decimal as follows:

C = 100, X = 10, V = 5, I = 1, I = 1

Summing these values gives:

100 + 10 + 5 + 1 + 1 = 117

The decimal number 117 is then converted to binary, which is 1110101.

Examples

Let’s explore some examples to understand how to convert Roman numerals to their binary equivalents.

1. Convert the Roman numeral CXVII to binary.

Answer

First, we identify the given Roman numeral:

Given:

  • Roman: CXVII

Next, we convert the Roman numeral to its decimal equivalent by summing the values of its individual letters:

Steps:

  • C = 100
  • X = 10
  • V = 5
  • I = 1
  • I = 1

The sum is:

Decimal Equivalent:

117

Finally, we convert the decimal number to binary:

Binary Equivalent:

1110101

Result:

∴ The binary equivalent of the Roman numeral CXVII is 1110101.

2. Convert the Roman numeral XLII to binary.

Answer

We start by identifying the number:

Given:

  • Roman: XLII

Next, we convert the Roman numeral to its decimal equivalent by summing the values of its individual letters:

Steps:

  • X = 10
  • L = 50
  • I = 1
  • I = 1

Since X is before L, we subtract its value from L:

  • 50 - 10 = 40

The sum is:

Decimal Equivalent:

42

Finally, we convert the decimal number to binary:

Binary Equivalent:

101010

Result:

∴ The binary equivalent of the Roman numeral XLII is 101010.

3. Determine the binary equivalent of the Roman numeral DCCLXXIV.

Answer

First, we identify the given Roman numeral:

Given:

  • Roman: DCCLXXIV

Next, we convert the Roman numeral to its decimal equivalent by summing the values of its individual letters:

Steps:

  • D = 500
  • C = 100
  • C = 100
  • L = 50
  • X = 10
  • X = 10
  • V = 5
  • I = 1

The sum is:

Decimal Equivalent:

774

Finally, we convert the decimal number to binary:

Binary Equivalent:

1100000110

Result:

∴ The binary equivalent of the Roman numeral DCCLXXIV is 1100000110.

4. Convert the Roman numeral CMXCIX to binary.

Answer

We start by identifying the number:

Given:

  • Roman: CMXCIX

Next, we convert the Roman numeral to its decimal equivalent by summing the values of its individual letters:

Steps:

  • C = 100
  • M = 1000
  • X = 10
  • C = 100
  • I = 1
  • X = 10

Since C is before M, and X is before C, we subtract their values:

  • 1000 - 100 = 900
  • 100 - 10 = 90
  • 10 - 1 = 9

The sum is:

Decimal Equivalent:

999

Finally, we convert the decimal number to binary:

Binary Equivalent:

1111100111

Result:

∴ The binary equivalent of the Roman numeral CMXCIX is 1111100111.