Using modern standard subtractive notation (i.e. IV = 4, IX = 9, XL = 40, XLIX = 49, XC = 90, etc.) there is something quite significant about the Roman number XXXVIII (38). What is it?
I know this is not the answer to the given puzzle, but XXXVIII (38) has an interesting property.
Assigning the values in accordance with their respective positions in the alphabet, we have: X = 24, V =22, and I = 9, so that: XXXVIII has the value: 3*24+ 22+ 3*9 = 121, which is equal to the square of the sum of the digits of 38.
Edited on July 25, 2009, 5:37 am
Interesting property .....
