"Cardan applied the Hindoo rule of "false position" (called by him regula aurea) to the cubic, but this mode of approximating was exceedingly rough. An incomparably better method was invented by Franciscus Vieta... whose transcendent genius enriched mathematics with several important innovations... For this process, Vieta was greatly admired by his contemporaries. It was employed by Harriot, Oughtred, Pell, and others. Its principle is identical with the main principle involved in the methods of approximation of Newton and Horner. The only change lies in the arrangement of the work. This alteration was made to afford facility and security in the process of evolution of the root."