On the forgotten theorem of Mr. Vincent

Summaries A little known theorem concerning the isolation of roots of polynomial equations, published in 1836 by a mathematician known only as Mr. Vincent, is discussed. Mr. Vincent's method is of historical and practical interest because it requires fewer computations than Sturm's method. The advantages afforded by this theorem are particularly relevant to software systems for computerized algebra. Certain computational results which offer an empirical comparison of the two methods are also presented.