About HP Prime factorization

[dah145]

[quote='parisse' pid='138432' dateline='1604303926']
factor factors over the field of coefficients of the arguments. If you want to extend this field, you must give a 2nd argument specifying the extension.
For example

Code:

P:=a*s^2+b*s+c;
l:=solve(P=0,s);
factor(P,l[0])

Thank you very much, never would have guessed that, but it makes sense.

Now, just another question, let's say I want to factor the expression: a^2 -2*a*b+b^2+s^2, it's easy to see that it is equivalent to: s^2 + (a-b)^2. I know I can get to the second expression in the HP Prime by applying the factor function like this: factor(a^2 -2*a*b+b^2)+s^2, but the point if it is possible for it to be done automatically with a function. This is particularly useful, for example, to getting the simplified expressions of typical laplace transforms with symbolic coefficients, such as the ones attached.