Bernstein–Sato polynomial

In mathematics, the Bernstein–Sato polynomial is a polynomial related to differential operators, introduced independently by Joseph Bernstein (1971) and Mikio Sato and Takuro Shintani (1972, 1974), Sato (1990). It is also known as the b-function, the b-polynomial, and the Bernstein polynomial, though it is not related to the Bernstein polynomials used in approximation theory. It has applications to singularity theory, monodromy theory, and quantum field theory.

Severino Coutinho (1995) gives an elementary introduction, while Armand Borel (1987) and Masaki Kashiwara (2003) give more advanced accounts.