Horner’s method

mathematics

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June 29, 2026

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Horner's method is a numerical technique used to approximate the real roots of algebraic equations. Developed by English mathematician William George Horner in the early 19th century, this method allows for the calculation of roots to a high degree of precision. While Horner's name is associated with the method, similar techniques were known in China as early as the 13th century. The method gained significant popularity in England and America due to its promotion by mathematician Augustus De Morgan.12

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William George Horner
…whose name is attached to Horner’s method, a means of continuous approximation to determine the solutions of algebraic equations of any degree.
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…whose name is attached to Horner’s method, a means of continuous approximation to determine the solutions of algebraic equations of any degree.
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mathematics
Islamic mathematics to the 15th century
…what is now known as Horner’s method to expand the binomial (a + y)ⁿ. His contemporary Sharaf al-Dīn al-Ṭūsī late in the 12th century provided a method of approximating the positive roots of arbitrary equations, based on an approach virtually identical to that discovered by François Viète in 16th-century France.…
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…what is now known as Horner’s method to expand the binomial (a + y)ⁿ. His contemporary Sharaf al-Dīn al-Ṭūsī late in the 12th century provided a method of approximating the positive roots of arbitrary equations, based on an approach virtually identical to that discovered by François Viète in 16th-century France.…
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