A short review of Algebraic Geometry tools for the decomposition of tensors and polynomials is given from the point of view of applications to quantum and atomic physics. Examples of application to assemblies of indistinguishable two-level bosonic atoms are discussed using modern formulations of the classical Sylvester's algorithm for the decomposition of homogeneous polynomials in two variables. In particular, the symmetric rank and symmetric border rank of spin squeezed states is calculated as well as their Schrödinger-cat-like decomposition as the sum of macroscopically different coherent spin states; Fock states provide an example of states for which the symmetric rank and the symmetric border rank are different.