+ exvector res;
+ ex w = a;
+ ex z = w.diff(x);
+ ex g = gcd(w, z);
+ if (g.is_equal(_ex1)) {
+ res.push_back(a);
+ return res;
+ }
+ ex y;
+ do {
+ w = quo(w, g, x);
+ y = quo(z, g, x);
+ z = y - w.diff(x);
+ g = gcd(w, z);
+ res.push_back(g);
+ } while (!z.is_zero());
+ return res;
+}
+
+/** Compute a square-free factorization of a multivariate polynomial in Q[X].
+ *
+ * @param a multivariate polynomial over Q[X]
+ * @param x lst of variables to factor in, may be left empty for autodetection
+ * @return a square-free factorization of \p a.
+ *
+ * \note
+ * A polynomial \f$p(X) \in C[X]\f$ is said <EM>square-free</EM>
+ * if, whenever any two polynomials \f$q(X)\f$ and \f$r(X)\f$
+ * are such that
+ * \f[
+ * p(X) = q(X)^2 r(X),
+ * \f]
+ * we have \f$q(X) \in C\f$.
+ * This means that \f$p(X)\f$ has no repeated factors, apart
+ * eventually from constants.
+ * Given a polynomial \f$p(X) \in C[X]\f$, we say that the
+ * decomposition
+ * \f[
+ * p(X) = b \cdot p_1(X)^{a_1} \cdot p_2(X)^{a_2} \cdots p_r(X)^{a_r}
+ * \f]
+ * is a <EM>square-free factorization</EM> of \f$p(X)\f$ if the
+ * following conditions hold:
+ * -# \f$b \in C\f$ and \f$b \neq 0\f$;
+ * -# \f$a_i\f$ is a positive integer for \f$i = 1, \ldots, r\f$;
+ * -# the degree of the polynomial \f$p_i\f$ is strictly positive
+ * for \f$i = 1, \ldots, r\f$;
+ * -# the polynomial \f$\Pi_{i=1}^r p_i(X)\f$ is square-free.
+ *
+ * Square-free factorizations need not be unique. For example, if
+ * \f$a_i\f$ is even, we could change the polynomial \f$p_i(X)\f$
+ * into \f$-p_i(X)\f$.
+ * Observe also that the factors \f$p_i(X)\f$ need not be irreducible
+ * polynomials.
+ */
+ex sqrfree(const ex &a, const lst &l)
+{
+ if (is_a<numeric>(a) || // algorithm does not trap a==0
+ is_a<symbol>(a)) // shortcut