The Jiuzhang suanshu, or Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art, is the most famous mathematical book to come out of ancient China. This book dominated mathematical development for more than 1,500 years, with contributions by numerous Chinese such as Xu Yue (c. 160-c. 227), though his contributions were lost. It contains 246 problems meant to provide methods to solve everyday questions concerning engineering, trade, taxation, and surveying.