What is a polynomial anxn+·+a1x+a0 This modern notation was more or less developed by Rene Descartes (1596-1650)in his book La Geometrie [Geometry](1637). Before the 17th century,mathematicians usually did not use any particular notation. Before Descartes,Francois Viete (1540-1603)has already developed the basic idea of introducing arbitrary parameters into an equation and to distinguish these from the equation's variables. 1What is a polynomial ? anx n + · · · + a1x + a0 This modern notation was more or less developed by Ren´e Descartes (1596-1650) in his book La G´eom´etrie [Geometry] (1637). Before the 17th century, mathematicians usually did not use any particular notation. Before Descartes, Fran¸cois Vi`ete (1540-1603) has already developed the basic idea of introducing arbitrary parameters into an equation and to distinguish these from the equation’s variables. 1