Prefix notation, also known as Polish notation, is a mathematical notation in which the operator precedes its operands. For example, instead of writing "3 + 4" as in standard notation, it would be written as "+ 3 4". This format eliminates the need for parentheses to indicate the order of operations, as the position of the operator and operands inherently defines it. In prefix notation, expressions are evaluated from right to left. This means that when processing an expression like "+ 3 4", the operation is performed immediately after identifying the operator and its two operands. This system is particularly useful in computer science and programming languages, where it simplifies parsing and evaluation of expressions.