Qin Jiushao was an important Chinese mathematician who introduced the use of zero in mathematics. He developed methods for solving high-order numerical equations, including a 4th order equation. Mathematics emerged independently in China by the 11th century BC and the Chinese made contributions to large and negative numbers, decimals, place value, algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, mathematicians like Yang Hui, Qin Jiushao, Li Zhi, and Zhu Shijie developed methods for solving simultaneous, quadratic, cubic, and quartic equations hundreds of years before Europeans.