Roman Numeral "C"

 

The number 100 is represented by the letter "C" in Roman numerals.

Roman numerals are a numbering system that originated in ancient Rome and was widely used across Europe until the late Middle Ages. Combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet are used to represent numbers in this system.

Long after the Roman Empire fell apart, Roman numerals were still used. Roman numerals started to be phased out in favor of Arabic numbers in the 14th century; however, this transition was slow, and Roman numerals are still used in certain applications today. Clock faces are one of the most common places where they may be found.

Instead of using place value notation, Roman numerals utilize a set of symbols with defined values, including "built in" powers of ten. Tally-like combinations of these fixed symbols correspond to Arabic numerals' digits. This structure allows for a lot of variation in notation, and there are a lot of them.

Roman numerals have never had an official or widely recognized standard. In ancient Rome, use fluctuated widely, and in medieval times, it became completely chaotic. Even the reinstatement of a fully "classical" notation in the post-renaissance period failed to achieve entire uniformity; in fact, some current authors advocate different forms as providing more "flexibility."