Real factorization of multivariate polynomials with integer coefficients (Q5959707)

The author adapts a method of complex factorization due to D. Rupprech to factor polynomials over \(\mathbb Q\) as a product of real factors. While the approach is probabilistic and relies on a search with exponential complexity, it is efficient for polynomials whose degrees are about 50. By the Hilbert's irreducibility theorem and Hensel's lemma, it is enough to consider polynomials in two variables. The irreducibility of a polynomial is signified by the non-vanishing of sums of certain coefficients, so one can use the vanishing of sums to produce factors with approximate coefficients and then exact factors over a real algebraic extension of \(\mathbb Q\).