Program Challenge (was Re: z80 timing... 6502 timing) - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

19 Apr 1999

In a message dated 4/19/99 4:12:54 PM Central Daylight Time, 
cisin(a)xenosoft.com writes:

...
  I must be missing something here.  9 does NOT produce
the longest string
  < 10, 8 does.    (IX v VIII),  and 3999 isn't the longest string.

  3888 would seem to produce:
         M M M D C C C L X X X V I I I   \0
  which is 16 characters, including null.          

  BTW, what comes after M?  Is it correct that in Roman numerals there can
  never be 4 consecutive occurences of the same letter?   (The original Y4M
  "bug"!!!)

No.  Apparently the modern usage of Roman numerals is different
than the Roman usage.  Romans were known to do VIIII to mean 9,
and were not really consistent in their usage.

Interesting article in the Houston Chronicle discussing this a couple of 
months ago.  1999 can be made at least 3 ways, so a decision had to be
made on which way should be used.  (Hollywood movies, etc)

Kelly