CDXCVI

CDXCVI is the Roman numeral for the decimal value 496. It is written as the combination of CD (400) plus XC (90) plus VI (6). This reflects the subtractive principle used in Roman numerals (CD represents 500 minus 100, XC represents 100 minus 10) and the additive VI (5 plus 1). The form CDXCVI is the standard modern rendering of 496; nonstandard forms such as IM are not considered correct in conventional usage.

In arithmetic terms, 496 is a perfect number: the sum of its proper divisors equals the number itself (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 31, 62, 124, and 248 sum to 496). It factors as 2^4 × 31, making it the third perfect number in the sequence after 6 and 28. This property is independent of its Roman representation, but it is a notable mathematical characteristic associated with the number.

Historically, Roman numerals like CDXCVI appear on inscriptions, monuments, clock faces, and chapter headings. In modern contexts, 496 may be encountered in editions that reproduce ancient numerals or in numeral systems comparisons, where it corresponds to 111110000 in binary and 1F0 in hexadecimal.