Editing Arabic numerals (section)

==== China ====
[[File:Shang_numerals_to_brahmi.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Chinese [[Shang dynasty]] oracle bone numerals of 14th century BC<ref name="Taylor & Francis">{{Cite book |last1=Campbell |first1=Douglas M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PFNsm_IaymYC&dq=shang+numerals+brahmi&pg=PA31 |title=Mathematics: People, Problems, Results |last2=Higgins |first2=John C. |year=1984 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-534-02879-4}}</ref><ref name="The Shorter Science p. 6">The Shorter Science & Civilisation in China Vol 2, An abridgement by Colin Ronan of Joseph Needham's original text, Table 20, p. 6, Cambridge University Press {{isbn|0-521-23582-0}}</ref>]] 
The Chinese [[Shang dynasty]] numerals from the 14th century BC predates the Indian Brahmi numerals by over 1000&nbsp;years and shows substantial similarity to the Brahmi numerals. Similar to the modern Arabic numerals, the Shang dynasty numeral system was also decimal based and [[positional notation|positional]].<ref name="Taylor & Francis"/><ref name="The Shorter Science p. 6"/>

While positional Chinese numeral systems such as the [[Counting rods|counting rod system]] and [[Suzhou numerals]] had been in use prior to the introduction of modern Arabic numerals,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shell-Gellasch |first=Amy |title=Algebra in context : introductory algebra from origins to applications |year=2015 |others=J. B. Thoo |isbn=978-1-4214-1728-8 |location=Baltimore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Uy |first=Frederick L. |date=January 2003 |title=The Chinese Numeration System and Place Value |journal=Teaching Children Mathematics |volume=9 |issue=5 |pages=243–247 |doi=10.5951/tcm.9.5.0243 |issn=1073-5836}}</ref> the externally-developed system was eventually introduced to medieval China by the [[Hui people]]. In the early 17th century, European-style Arabic numerals were introduced by Spanish and Portuguese [[Jesuits]].<ref>{{cite book|editor-first=Helaine |editor-last=Selin|editor-link=Helaine Selin|title=Encyclopaedia of the history of science, technology, and medicine in non-western cultures|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=raKRY3KQspsC&pg=PA198|year=1997|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-0-7923-4066-9|page=198|access-date=18 October 2015|archive-date=27 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151027201326/https://books.google.com/books?id=raKRY3KQspsC&pg=PA198|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Meuleman|first=Johan H.|title=Islam in the era of globalization: Muslim attitudes towards modernity and identity|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YNArhqy4emwC&pg=PA272|year=2002|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=978-0-7007-1691-3|page=272|access-date=18 October 2015|archive-date=27 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151027201326/https://books.google.com/books?id=YNArhqy4emwC&pg=PA272|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Peng Yoke Ho|title=Li, Qi and Shu: An Introduction to Science and Civilization in China|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_P6C4JO4JCUC&pg=PA106|year=2000|publisher=Courier Dover Publications|location=Mineola, NY|isbn=978-0-486-41445-4|page=106|access-date=18 October 2015|archive-date=27 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151027201326/https://books.google.com/books?id=_P6C4JO4JCUC&pg=PA106|url-status=live}}</ref>