When working with quadratic equations, I've gotten in the habit of putting them in the form $ax^2+2hx+c=0$, where $2h=b$. This always seems to make things simpler. For instance, it boils all the constants out of the quadratic formula: $x=\frac{-h\pm\sqrt{h^2-ac}}{a}$. Also, I've noticed that 2's tend to show up in the linear term anyway.
I can't be the first person to think of this form. Is it much used elsewhere, and if so, what variable is commonly used for $h$?