Today when one thinks of algebra, one immediately thinks of equations and variables. The notation we use today allows us to write not only specific equations to solve, but also a general form for many equations. The development of the algebraic notation we use today started in the sixteenth century. One of the first mathematicians to have an impact on the development of this algebraic notation was Franois Vi te. The contribution Vi te made towards algebraic notation has earned him the name "The father of modern algebraic notation" (Struik, p. 268).