Editing Abacus (section)

===India===

The ''[[Abhidharmakośabhāṣya]]'' of [[Vasubandhu]] (316–396), a Sanskrit work on [[Buddhist philosophy]], says that the second-century CE philosopher [[Vasumitra]] said that "placing a wick (Sanskrit ''vartikā'') on the number one (''ekāṅka'') means it is a one while placing the wick on the number hundred means it is called a hundred, and on the number one thousand means it is a thousand".  It is unclear exactly what this arrangement may have been. Around the 5th century, Indian clerks were already finding new ways of recording the contents of the abacus.<ref>{{harvnb|Körner|1996|p=232}}</ref> Hindu texts used the term ''śūnya'' (zero) to indicate the empty column on the abacus.<ref>{{harvnb|Mollin|1998|p=3}}</ref>