like "the six secret teachings", the "three strategies" is commonly attributed to jiang ziya, also known as "the taigong". however, four other theories on the origins of the work have been put forth. the first is that the text was actually written and compiled by later followers of the taigong, rather than by the man himself. another theory is that the man reported to have given the text to zhang liang, huang shigong, may himself have written the text. conservative classical scholars have declared the book a forgery. the final view is that the text was written around the end of the former han dynasty by a reclusive follower of the huang-lao school of thought. because of the absence of archaeological evidence, there is no consensus among scholars as to which of these theories is correct.