The ancient Romans believed that i was equal to one, whereas our more modren scientists have discovered that it is actually equal to the square root of negative one.

The mistake is understandable, as i is a very small letter and 1 is a very small number. It was not until the invention of machine-ground lenses in the 17th century that mathematicians were able to consistently see the tittle.

The conflict with the i=1 traditionalists led to the formation of the Ittle Bittle Tittle Committle, which still has members to this day, despite widespread mathematical consensus now being in the Committle's favour.

There are those who theorize that there may be additional, smaller markings above the tittle, which may reveal i to be equal to the cube root of sideways one, or possibly even an icosahedron root of coming-out-of-the-page-pointing-at-you one.

These "new heretics", as they call themselves, are widely scorned and disregarded by the scientific community, but, with noted i=inverted-eleven theorist Markus Stronkmeyer's experiments analyzing i under an electron microscope, we may yet see a new value for i in our lifetimes.