# List of factors: factors

### 5.27.18 List of factors: factors

The factors command provides the factors of a polynomial as a list.

- factors takes one argument:
  P, a polynomial or a list of polynomials.
- factors(P) returns a list containing the factors of P and their exponents, or a list of such lists.

#### Examples.

- Input:
  factors(x^2+2*x+1)
  Output:

  | ⎡ ⎣ | x+1,2 | ⎤ ⎦

- Input:
  factors(x^4-2*x^2+1)
  Output:

  | ⎡ ⎣ | x−1,2,x+1,2 | ⎤ ⎦

- Input:
  factors([x^3-2*x^2+1,x^2-x])
  Output:

  ⎡
  ⎢
  ⎣

  x−1 | 1 | x2−x−1 | 1
  x | 1 | x−1 | 1

  ⎤
  ⎥
  ⎦

- Input:
  factors([x^2,x^2-1])
  Output:

  | ⎡ ⎣ | ⎡ ⎣ | x,2 | ⎤ ⎦ | , | ⎡ ⎣ | x−1,1,x+1,1 | ⎤ ⎦ | ⎤ ⎦