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factor    --    factor a polynomial


Syntax 
factor(F: RINGELEM): RECORD

Description
This function factorizes a polynomial into irreducibles in its ring of definition. Multivariate factorization is not yet supported over finite fields (but you can use SqFreeFactor and then ContentFreeFactor to obtain a partial factorization).

(For information about the algorithm, consult John Abbott's papers, for univariate polynomials with coefficients in an algebraic extension, from version 5.2.3, consult E.Palezzato's PhD thesis)

To factorize an integer use FactorINT .

NOTE: in older versions of CoCoA-5 the field names were Factors and Exponents.

Example 
/**/  use R ::= QQ[x,y];
/**/  F := 4*x^8 + 4*x^6 + x^4 + 4*x^2 + 4;
/**/  FacInfo := factor(F);
/**/  indent(FacInfo);
record[
  RemainingFactor := 1,
  factors := [2*x^4-4*x^3+5*x^2-4*x+2, 2*x^4+4*x^3+5*x^2+4*x+2],
  multiplicities := [1, 1]
]
/**/  G := product([FacInfo.factors[i]^FacInfo.multiplicities[i]
/**/                        | i in 1..len(FacInfo.factors)]);
/**/  F = G * FacInfo.RemainingFactor;
true

/**/  factor((8*x^2 +16*x +8)/27);
record[factors := [x +1], multiplicities := [2], RemainingFactor := 8/27]

/**/  factor(2*x^2-4); -- over a finite field the factors are monic
record[factors := [x^2 -2], multiplicities := [1], RemainingFactor := 2]

/**/ use QQab ::= QQ[a,b];
/**/ L := QQab/ideal(a^2-2, b^2-3);
/**/ use L[x,y];
/**/ indent(factor(x^2-2));
record[
  RemainingFactor := (1),
  factors := [x +(a), x +(-a)],
  multiplicities := [1, 1]
]

/**/ indent(factor(x^2-6));
record[
  RemainingFactor := (1),
  factors := [x +(-a*b), x +(a*b)],
  multiplicities := [1, 1]
]

See Also