From: "Peña, Botp" <botp@...>
Date: 2007-01-27T11:15:01+09:00
Subject: Re: Counting Toothpicks (#111)

From: Lincoln Anderson [mailto:ayblinkin@gmail.com] 
# I missed the answer to the post asking if we should implement roman
# numerals.  Which is "more" acceptable,
# 
# X x X = 100 (6)
# 
# or
# 
# |||||||||| x |||||||||| = 100 (22)

it's computer to toothpick and we assume all toothpicks are same without breaking nor splitting.

X x X => X X X => 30 ??  how do we represent mult in roman num?

maybe, to be fair, we can use roman num but replace X (2 toothpicks) with * (3 toothpics). exponent can be ** (6 toothpicks). we will use /\/\ for M and |_ for L....

so,

X * X = 100 (2+3+2 toothpicks)
X ** X = 10 ** 10 = 10_000_000_1000 (2+3+3+2 toothpicks)

arggh, this quiz looks difficult :)

kind regards -botp