1540-1603

French Mathematician

In his In artem analyticum isagoge (Introduction to the Analytical Arts," 1591), François Viète established the letter notation still used in algebra: vowels for unknown quantities or variables, consonants for known quantities or parameters. He wrote a number of other mathematical texts; promoted the use of trigonometry for solving cubic equations; introduced a number of terms, including "coefficient"; and contributed to a variety of other mathematical areas.

The son of Etienne and Marguerite Dupont Viète was born in the French town of Fontenayla-Comte in 1540. By the age of 16, he was studying law at the University of Poitiers, and following his graduation obtained a position as a lawyer in Fontenay. His contacts with royalty and nobility, which would characterize his career, began early: even at this point, Viète could count among his clients...