dgale>How do you write your polynomials, ax^2+bx+c or c+bx+ax^2? Traditionally it seems the first way is most common. Why? The second would seem more natural. Don't we generally like to have things (like exponents) increasing from left to right? By contrast, for power series we have a_0+a_1x+a_2x^2+ . . ., (never. . .+a_2x^2+a_1x+a_0). Never say never. (c163) sum(a[k]*x^k,k,0,2) 2 (d163) a x + a x + a 2 1 0 (c164) taylor(%,x,0,2) = taylor(%,x,inf,0) 2 2 (d164)/T/ a + a x + a x + . . . = a x + a x + a + . . . 0 1 2 2 1 0 henry>It would be interesting to take a poll of symbolic algebraic manipulation (SAM) systems to see how they represent polynomials In some systems, however you want: (c165) (powerdisp:true,d163) 2 (d165) a + a x + a x 0 1 2 (c166) horner(%,x) (d166) a + x (a + a x) 0 1 2 (c167) (powerdisp:false,%) (d167) x (a x + a ) + a 2 1 0 thane>The trouble of learning emacs and LaTeX is repaid many times over in mathematical writing. Especially if your CAS(SAM) will do some TeXing for you: (c168) tex(d163 = %) % A[2]*X^2+A[1]*X+A[0] = X*(A[2]*X+A[1])+A[0] $$ a_{2}\,x^{2}+a_{1}\,x+a_{0}=x\,\left(a_{2}\,x+a_{1}\right)+a_{0} $$ --rwg PS That diagonal Cal\Nevada border--is it a great circle, rhumb line, or what? If the former, then its compass bearing varies from end to end. If the latter, it isn't straight.