<s>[INST] Factorization of $x^n + y^n$, what sort of coefficients show up? We know that$$a^2 + b^2 = (a + bi)(a - bi).$$ What are the complete factorizations of $a^3 + b^3$, $a^4 + b^4$, $\ldots$ , $a^k + b^k$, etc.? What sort of coefficients show up?
 [/INST] The problem simplifies if you divide through by $a$ and lent $\frac{b}{a} = x$. Once you have the factors of $1+x^n$ it is easy to re-introduce $a$ and $b$.
The pattern in these is easy to see.  For odd $n$,  
$$a^3 + b^3 = (a+b) (a+b\mbox{ cis } (\frac{2\pi}{3})) (a+b\mbox{ cis }(\frac{4\pi}{3})) $$
$$a^5 + b^5 = (a+b) (a+b\mbox{ cis } (\frac{2\pi}{5})) (a+b\mbox{ cis }(\frac{4\pi}{5})) (a+b\mbox{ cis } (\frac{6\pi}{5})) (a+b\mbox{ cis }(\frac{8\pi}{5}))$$
and so forth.  For even $n$,
$$a^4 + b^4 =  (a+b\mbox{ cis } (\frac{1\pi}{4})) (a+b\mbox{ cis } (\frac{3\pi}{4})) (a+b\mbox{ cis } (\frac{5\pi}{4})) (a+b\mbox{ cis } (\frac{7\pi}{4}))$$
and so forth.
You can in fact express the full factorization in terms of easy to swallow radicals for $n=2,3,4,5,6,8$.  Also for $n=17$ for example; see Fermat primes.
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