Izabella Bashmakova

F. Viete contribution in the history of mathematics can be better assessed if we compare mathematics of his time with the ancient mathematical thought. The first is mainly characterized by the construction and wide application of literary calculi, while in the ancient mathematics, despite of its high theoretical level, were no any calculus (exept the immediate operation over numbers). F. Viete was the creator of the first literary calculus. His work marks the beginning not only of modern algebra, but also of modern mathematics as a whole.