# Get the factorization of a polynomial?

Posted 24 days ago
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 Hello. I have already asked for help in this forum and I thank those who replied but I still can't factor the polynomial a^2-3b^2. The "Factor" command factors it in Q but not in the set R. Is it a software problem or, more likely, something escapes me? I tried to add the "Extension-> Automatic" command but it does not recognize it and the online manual did not help me. Thanks for the help you want to give me.
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Posted 24 days ago
 The Extension->Automatic does not work. I hope this will improve in later versions. You can give the extension manually: Factor[a^2 - 3 b^2, Extension -> Sqrt[3]] or have it computed by Mathematica itself: pol = a^2 - 3 b^2; Factor[pol, Extension -> Cases[Solve[pol == 0], _?NumericQ, All]] 
Posted 24 days ago
 Many thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, if I want to use it in class I have to assume that students see sqrt (3)
Posted 24 days ago
 I tried but it does not work. Returns the attached screen Attachments:
Posted 24 days ago
 Enter the Wolfram Cloud and try the code in there.
Posted 24 days ago
 The result I sent it gives by Wolfram Cloud. The desktop version answers "Wolfram Alpha doesn't know how to interpret your input".
Posted 24 days ago
 Actually, if factoring a^2-3, gives me the correct result in R but as soon as I put b ^ 2 (a^2-3b^2) it doesn't factor it in R set. It seems not to recognize the second variable.