Why Roman Numerals Don't Have Zero?

Roman numerals do not have a zero because their numeral system was developed before the concept of zero was widely recognized or used in Western mathematics. The Roman numeral system is non-positional and additive/subtractive, designed primarily for counting and recording things like goods and dates, where zero was not needed as a number or placeholder. Instead of having a symbol for zero, Romans sometimes used the Latin word "nulla," meaning "none" or "nothing," but it was not treated as a number in itself.

Furthermore, the philosophical and mathematical view of zero as "nothingness" was often rejected or not required in Roman times. Zero became more essential later with positional numeral systems like the Hindu-Arabic system, which uses zero both as a number and as a place-holder to signify the absence of a value in a position. The Roman system's structure and practical usage did not demand zero, so it was never incorporated into their numerals.