there are some chinese mathematical works of which parts,at least,are claimed to date from very early times.this is difficult to verify because we lack original aources. As an added complication it was decreed, in 213 b.c. by the emperor shi huang-ti,that books in the country be burned.Althogh the edict was most certainly not completely carried out,and many books that were burned were soon restored from memory,we are now in doubt as to the genuineness of anything claimed to be older than the un-fortunate date