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They did not need a zero. The number zero was invented by the Indians (not sure when). But when Romans wanted to write 10it was just X. No need for a zero

Also, they did not recognize the polarity of magnetism or the need to identify neutrality with a "zero" placeholder.

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14y ago
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15y ago

Zero wasn't invented yet. It was invented in the Middle East



Another answer: There was no need for a zero in their system. We have 9 numbers plus the zero symbol. We add a zero on to the end of a number to convert it to tens and two zeros to convert it to hundreds and so on. The Romans simply had different symbols for tens and hundreds. For example we would write 1, 10, 20, 40, 50, 100 and 200 but the same numbers as Roman numerals would be I, X, XX, XL, L, C and CC, done quite simply with no need for a zero. In the middle ages monks, who still used Roman numerals and wrote in Latin, began to used the symbol N to represent zero (from the Latin Nullae meaning nothing).

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Q: Why did the Romans not use a zero?
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Related questions

Did Romans have a zero in their numeral system?

Yes the Romans had a symbol for zero which was N but there was no need to use it because the positional place value of Roman numerals are self explanatory. For example to write out 501 we need to include a zero to represent its real value but the equivalent of 501 in Roman numerals is DI which does not require a zero symbol.


Who invented the zero and algebra?

The Romans


Who designed the zero?

THE ROMANS HAVE DESIGNED THE NUBER ZERO .................. STUPID IDIOT No.1


What is 0 in roman numerals?

The Romans did not have the concept of zero-- there is no Roman numeral for zero. This lack made it virtually impossible to do arithmetic with Roman numerals and that is why we use Arabic numerals nowadays.


Why didn't Romans use the number zero?

The number zero is needed in the Hindu-Arabic numeral system because as for example it tells us that there is a difference between 207 and 27 but in the Roman numeral system a zero number is not needed because we automatically know that there is a difference between CCVII and XXVII. In fact the Romans had a symbol for zero which was N and its Latin word is 'nihil'


Why didn't the Romans use the number zero?

The number zero is needed in the Hindu-Arabic numeral system because as for example it tells us that there is a difference between 207 and 27 but in the Roman numeral system a zero number is not needed because we automatically know that there is a difference between CCVII and XXVII. In fact the Romans had a symbol for zero which was N and its Latin word is 'nihil'


Did Romans use place value and why?

The Romans did not use place value as they had no numeral for zero. In the Hindu/Arabic system, which most of the world uses, one followed by zero becomes ten and if an additional zero is added it become a hundred. In the Roman system of numerals 1 = I and 10 = X and 100 = C. So, as you can see there are no place values just different numerals for different values.


Why don't you use roman numerals now?

Because the Romans didn't understand the concept of the number "Zero". If there is nothing, then why bother writing it down? The Arabs, whose sumeric system we use, were very advanced in math and came up with the concept that the number zero can be used in equations and calculations. So we use that system instead of the Roman system. ...that and the Romans didn't have decimals.


Did the Romans invent numbers?

The Romans invented a method for writing numbers but so did other cultures. The Indians developed a numbering system that included the zero. There was no zero in the Roman system.


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What number does Roman Numerals not have?

Romans did not understand the concept of a zero.


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