Negative numbers

Negative numbers were used in the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art, which in its present form dates from the period of the Chinese Han dynasty (202 BC – AD 220), but may well contain much older material. Liu Hui (c. 3rd century) established rules for adding and subtracting negative numbers. By the 7th century, Indian mathematicians such as Brahmagupta were describing the use of negative numbers. Islamic mathematicians further developed the rules of subtracting and multiplying negative numbers and solved problems with negative coefficients. Prior to the concept of negative numbers, mathematicians such as Diophantus considered negative solutions to problems "false" and equations requiring negative solutions were described as absurd. Western mathematicians like Leibniz held that negative numbers were invalid, but still used them in calculations.