History of Hindu Mathematics: A Source Book v1.c7.s14.9

v1.c7.s14.9

Mathematical works are not as permanent as religious or literary works. The study of a particular mathematical work is given up as soon as another better work comes into the field. In fact, a new mathematical work is composed with a view to removing the defects of and superseding the older ones. It is quite probable that works employing the place-value notation were written before Āryabhaṭa I, but they were given up and are lost. It will be idle to expect to find copies of such works after a lapse of sixteen hundred years.