<s>[INST] Prove that $f=x^4-4x^2+16\in\mathbb{Q}[x]$ is irreducible 
Prove that $f=x^4-4x^2+16\in\mathbb{Q}[x]$ is irreducible.

I am trying to prove it with Eisenstein's criterion but without success: for p=2, it divides -4 and the constant coefficient 16, don't divide the leading coeficient 1, but its square 4 divides the constant coefficient 16, so doesn't work. Therefore I tried to find $f(x\pm c)$ which is irreducible:

$f(x+1)=x^4+4x^3+2x^2-4x+13$, but 13 has the divisors: 1 and 13, so don't exist a prime number p such that to apply the first condition: $p|a_i, i\ne n$; the same problem for $f(x-1)=x^4+...+13$
For $f(x+2)=x^4+8x^3+20x^2+16x+16$ is the same problem from where we go, if we set p=2, that means $2|8, 2|20, 2|16$, not divide the leading coefficient 1, but its square 4 divide the constant coefficient 16; again, doesn't work.. is same problem for x-2

Now I'll verify for $f(x\pm3)$, but I think it will be fall... I think if I verify all constant $f(x\pm c)$ it doesn't work with this method...  so have any idea how we can prove that $f$ is irreducible?
 [/INST] You've seen that $f(x)$ has no roots, so you want to exclude factorizations of the form
$$f(x) = (x^2 + ax + b)(x^2 + cx + d)$$
Since $f(x) = f(-x)$, the above implies
$$f(x) = (x^2 - ax + b)(x^2 - cx + d)$$
Here $a,b,c$, and $d$ are integers by Gauss's Lemma.
So a given root $r$ of $x^2 - ax + b$ is a root of $x^2 + ax + b$ or $x^2 + cx + d$. 
If $r$ is a root of  $x^2 + ax + b$, it is the root of the difference $x^2 + ax + b - (x^2 - ax + b) = 2ax$, which implies $a = 0$ since zero is not a root of $f(x)$.
If $r$ is a root of  $x^2 + cx + d$ it is similarly a root of the difference $(c + a)x + (d - b)$, and since $f(x)$ has no rational roots $c = -a$ and $d = b$.
So either $a = 0$ or $c = -a$ and $d = b$. Since the argument is entirely symmetric in the two factors, we also either have $c = 0$ or $c = -a$ and $d = b$. Hence we have two possibilities: Either $a = c = 0$ or $c = -a$ and $d = b$.
In the first case we have
$$x^4 - 4x^2 + 16 = (x^2 + b)(x^2 + d)$$
But the roots of $y^2 - 4y + 16$ are irrational (they're not even real) so this can't happen.
In the second case we have
$$x^4 - 4x^2 + 16 = (x^2 + ax + b)(x^2 - ax + b) = x^4 + (2b - a^2) x^2 + b^2$$
Hence $b = \pm 4$ and therefore either $8 - a^2 = -4$ or $-8 - a^2 = -4$, neither of which has rational solutions. 
Hence $f(x)$ is irreducible.
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