diff --git a/doc/internals/polynomial.qbk b/doc/internals/polynomial.qbk
index 9f11796940..81709c2efb 100644
--- a/doc/internals/polynomial.qbk
+++ b/doc/internals/polynomial.qbk
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@
       const value_type& operator[](size_type i)const;
       std::vector<T> const& data() const;
       std::vector<T>& data();
+      operator bool() const;
+      
+      // modify:
+      void set_zero();
 
       // operators:
       template <class U>
diff --git a/example/polynomial_arithmetic.cpp b/example/polynomial_arithmetic.cpp
index 70dc91b1f1..78efd06d0d 100644
--- a/example/polynomial_arithmetic.cpp
+++ b/example/polynomial_arithmetic.cpp
@@ -197,6 +197,17 @@ even otherwise. That is:
     
     
     //] [/polynomial_arithmetic_5]
+    //[polynomial_arithmetic_6]
+    /* For performance and convenience, we can test whether a polynomial is zero 
+     * by implicitly converting to bool with the same semantics as int.    */
+    polynomial<double> zero; // Default construction is 0.
+    cout << "zero: " << (zero ? "not zero" : "zero") << "\n";
+    cout << "r: " << (r ? "not zero" : "zero") << "\n";
+    /* We can also set a polynomial to zero without needing a another zero 
+     * polynomial to assign to it. */
+    r.set_zero();
+    cout << "r: " << (r ? "not zero" : "zero") << "\n";    
+    //] [/polynomial_arithmetic_6]
 }
 catch (exception const &e)
 {
diff --git a/include/boost/math/tools/polynomial.hpp b/include/boost/math/tools/polynomial.hpp
index ae62e8aea7..df1bde3746 100644
--- a/include/boost/math/tools/polynomial.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/math/tools/polynomial.hpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 #include <boost/assert.hpp>
 #include <boost/config.hpp>
+#include <boost/config/suffix.hpp>
 #include <boost/function.hpp>
 #include <boost/lambda/lambda.hpp>
 #include <boost/math/tools/rational.hpp>
@@ -192,8 +193,8 @@ std::pair< polynomial<T>, polynomial<T> >
 division(polynomial<T> u, const polynomial<T>& v)
 {
     BOOST_ASSERT(v.size() <= u.size());
-    BOOST_ASSERT(v != zero_element(std::multiplies< polynomial<T> >()));
-    BOOST_ASSERT(u != zero_element(std::multiplies< polynomial<T> >()));
+    BOOST_ASSERT(v);
+    BOOST_ASSERT(u);
 
     typedef typename polynomial<T>::size_type N;
     
@@ -246,9 +247,9 @@ template <typename T>
 std::pair< polynomial<T>, polynomial<T> >
 quotient_remainder(const polynomial<T>& dividend, const polynomial<T>& divisor)
 {
-    BOOST_ASSERT(divisor != zero_element(std::multiplies< polynomial<T> >()));
+    BOOST_ASSERT(divisor);
     if (dividend.size() < divisor.size())
-        return std::make_pair(zero_element(std::multiplies< polynomial<T> >()), dividend);
+        return std::make_pair(polynomial<T>(), dividend);
     return detail::division(dividend, divisor);
 }
 
@@ -390,7 +391,7 @@ class polynomial :
    polynomial& operator %=(const U& /*value*/)
    {
        // We can always divide by a scalar, so there is no remainder:
-       *this = zero_element(std::multiplies<polynomial>());
+       this->set_zero();
        return *this;
    }
 
@@ -413,10 +414,9 @@ class polynomial :
    polynomial& operator *=(const polynomial<U>& value)
    {
       // TODO: FIXME: use O(N log(N)) algorithm!!!
-      polynomial const zero = zero_element(std::multiplies<polynomial>());
-      if (value == zero)
+      if (!value)
       {
-          *this = zero;
+          this->set_zero();
           return *this;
       }
       std::vector<T> prod(size() + value.size() - 1, T(0));
@@ -456,6 +456,33 @@ class polynomial :
        normalize();
        return *this;
    }
+   
+   // Convenient and efficient query for zero.
+   bool is_zero() const
+   {
+       return m_data.empty();
+   }
+   
+   // Conversion to bool.
+#ifdef BOOST_NO_CXX11_EXPLICIT_CONVERSION_OPERATORS
+   typedef bool (polynomial::*unmentionable_type)() const;
+
+   BOOST_FORCEINLINE operator unmentionable_type() const
+   {
+       return is_zero() ? false : &polynomial::is_zero;
+   }
+#else
+   BOOST_FORCEINLINE explicit operator bool() const
+   {
+       return !m_data.empty();
+   }
+#endif
+
+   // Fast way to set a polynomial to zero.
+   void set_zero()
+   {
+       m_data.clear();
+   }
     
     /** Remove zero coefficients 'from the top', that is for which there are no
     *        non-zero coefficients of higher degree. */
diff --git a/test/test_polynomial.cpp b/test/test_polynomial.cpp
index 65498d21cd..0ce45354a6 100644
--- a/test/test_polynomial.cpp
+++ b/test/test_polynomial.cpp
@@ -299,6 +299,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE_TEMPLATE(test_odd_even, T, all_test_types)
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(even(b), true);
 }
 
+
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE_TEMPLATE( test_pow, T, all_test_types )
 {
     polynomial<T> a(d3a.begin(), d3a.end());
@@ -321,3 +322,23 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE_TEMPLATE( test_pow, T, all_test_types )
     BOOST_CHECK_THROW(pow(a, -1), std::domain_error);
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(pow(one, 137), one);
 }
+
+
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE_TEMPLATE(test_bool, T, all_test_types)
+{
+    polynomial<T> const zero;
+    polynomial<T> const a(d0a.begin(), d0a.end());
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(bool(zero), false);
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(bool(a), true);
+}
+
+
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE_TEMPLATE(test_set_zero, T, all_test_types)
+{
+    polynomial<T> const zero;
+    polynomial<T> a(d0a.begin(), d0a.end());
+    a.set_zero();
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(a, zero);
+    a.set_zero(); // Ensure that setting zero to zero is a no-op.
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(a, zero);
+}