* 2
But in one area of medieval knowledge, the expression “Dark Ages" may be
appropriate, after all.
Until the early thirteenth century/ little progress had been made in
mathematics
not because of any opposition from religious authorities, and certainly not
for
any
lack of talent, bút bepause such progress was likely delayed by the awkwafd'and
ィ科
which was
inefficient numeration system* in use at the time
the Roman numeral one
based on several alphabet letters, each with a specific numerical value:I= one; V = five; X =
ten; L = fifty; C= one hundred;B D = five hundred; M = one thousand- To understand how
awkward that system was, consider how the numeral "two thousand two hundred fifty-
three" was put together: MMCCLIII = two thousand two hundred fifty-three.
Db, diol
Nour comnare the Roman numeral with the one we use today: 2,253 = two thousand
3
