In the material, how are Roman numerals described with regard to representable numbers?

In the material, how are Roman numerals described with regard to representable numbers?

• A. Can represent any integer including negatives.
• B. Can only represent positive integers and are not intended for arbitrarily large.
• C. Originated in China.
• D. Equivalent in use to Arabic numerals.

Answer: (B)

Roman numerals use a small set of symbols with additive and subtractive rules to express positive integers. There is no zero symbol and no place-value system, so negative numbers aren’t represented in the traditional notation. Because of these design choices, the system is suited to positive whole numbers, but it isn’t built to handle arbitrarily large values in a practical or standardized way. That’s why the material describes them as representing only positive integers and not intended for arbitrarily large numbers. (They didn’t originate in China, and they aren’t used the same way as Arabic numerals.)

Roman numerals use a small set of symbols with additive and subtractive rules to express positive integers. There is no zero symbol and no place-value system, so negative numbers aren’t represented in the traditional notation. Because of these design choices, the system is suited to positive whole numbers, but it isn’t built to handle arbitrarily large values in a practical or standardized way. That’s why the material describes them as representing only positive integers and not intended for arbitrarily large numbers. (They didn’t originate in China, and they aren’t used the same way as Arabic numerals.)