Task: Display a linear combination
C#: using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;

namespace DisplayLinearCombination {
    class Program {
        static string LinearCombo(List<int> c) {
            StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
            for (int i = 0; i < c.Count; i++) {
                int n = c[i];
                if (n < 0) {
                    if (sb.Length == 0) {
                        sb.Append('-');
                    } else {
                        sb.Append(" - ");
                    }
                } else if (n > 0) {
                    if (sb.Length != 0) {
                        sb.Append(" + ");
                    }
                } else {
                    continue;
                }

                int av = Math.Abs(n);
                if (av != 1) {
                    sb.AppendFormat("{0}*", av);
                }
                sb.AppendFormat("e({0})", i + 1);
            }
            if (sb.Length == 0) {
                sb.Append('0');
            }
            return sb.ToString();
        }

        static void Main(string[] args) {
            List<List<int>> combos = new List<List<int>>{
                new List<int> { 1, 2, 3},
                new List<int> { 0, 1, 2, 3},
                new List<int> { 1, 0, 3, 4},
                new List<int> { 1, 2, 0},
                new List<int> { 0, 0, 0},
                new List<int> { 0},
                new List<int> { 1, 1, 1},
                new List<int> { -1, -1, -1},
                new List<int> { -1, -2, 0, -3},
                new List<int> { -1},
            };

            foreach (List<int> c in combos) {
                var arr = "[" + string.Join(", ", c) + "]";
                Console.WriteLine("{0,15} -> {1}", arr, LinearCombo(c));
            }
        }
    }
}

VB: Imports System.Text

Module Module1

    Function LinearCombo(c As List(Of Integer)) As String
        Dim sb As New StringBuilder
        For i = 0 To c.Count - 1
            Dim n = c(i)
            If n < 0 Then
                If sb.Length = 0 Then
                    sb.Append("-")
                Else
                    sb.Append(" - ")
                End If
            ElseIf n > 0 Then
                If sb.Length <> 0 Then
                    sb.Append(" + ")
                End If
            Else
                Continue For
            End If

            Dim av = Math.Abs(n)
            If av <> 1 Then
                sb.AppendFormat("{0}*", av)
            End If
            sb.AppendFormat("e({0})", i + 1)
        Next
        If sb.Length = 0 Then
            sb.Append("0")
        End If
        Return sb.ToString()
    End Function

    Sub Main()
        Dim combos = New List(Of List(Of Integer)) From {
            New List(Of Integer) From {1, 2, 3},
            New List(Of Integer) From {0, 1, 2, 3},
            New List(Of Integer) From {1, 0, 3, 4},
            New List(Of Integer) From {1, 2, 0},
            New List(Of Integer) From {0, 0, 0},
            New List(Of Integer) From {0},
            New List(Of Integer) From {1, 1, 1},
            New List(Of Integer) From {-1, -1, -1},
            New List(Of Integer) From {-1, -2, 0, -3},
            New List(Of Integer) From {-1}
        }

        For Each c In combos
            Dim arr = "[" + String.Join(", ", c) + "]"
            Console.WriteLine("{0,15} -> {1}", arr, LinearCombo(c))
        Next
    End Sub

End Module