how to get the exponents of a polynomial in two variables

Question

I have the polynomial

5x^4 - 6x^3*y - 3x^2*y^2 - 3x*y^3 - y^4 + x^8 + x^7 + x^7*y + 4x^6*y^2 + x^6*y^2 + x^6*y + x^6 + x^5*y^3 + 4x^5*y^3 + 4x^5*y^2 - x^5*y^2 + x^5*y + x^4*y^4 + x^4*y^4 + x^4*y^4 + x^4*y^3 - x^4*y^3 + x^4*y^2 + 3x^4*y^2 + 3x^3*y^5 + x^3*y^5 + x^3*y^4 - x^3*y^4 + x^3*y^3 + x^3*y^3 + x^2*y^6 + x^2*y^6 - x^2*y^5 + x^2*y^4 + x^2*y^4 + x*y^7 - x*y^6 + 6x*y^5 + y^8 + y^6 - x^3 + x*y^2 + 5x^6 + x^5 - 4x^4*y^2 + 3x^4 - 7x^3*y^2 + x^2*y^4 + x^2*y^2 - x*y^4 + y^4

how can I get a list with all the pairs of its exponents?

Answer 1

I get a list with all the pairs of its exponents?

One way could be

p = 5 x^4 - 6 x^3*y - 3 x^2*y^2 - 3 x*y^3 - y^4 + x^8 + x^7 + x^7*y + 
  4 x^6*y^2 + x^6*y^2 + x^6*y + x^6 + x^5*y^3 + 4 x^5*y^3 + 
  4 x^5*y^2 - x^5*y^2 + x^5*y + x^4*y^4 + x^4*y^4 + x^4*y^4 + 
  x^4*y^3 - x^4*y^3 + x^4*y^2 + 3 x^4*y^2 + 3 x^3*y^5 + x^3*y^5 + 
  x^3*y^4 - x^3*y^4 + x^3*y^3 + x^3*y^3 + x^2*y^6 + x^2*y^6 - 
  x^2*y^5 + x^2*y^4 + x^2*y^4 + x*y^7 - x*y^6 + 6 x*y^5 + y^8 + y^6 - 
  x^3 + x*y^2 + 5 x^6 + x^5 - 4 x^4*y^2 + 3 x^4 - 7 x^3*y^2 + 
  x^2*y^4 + x^2*y^2 - x*y^4 + y^4

Then

 Map[Exponent[#, {x, y}] &, List @@ p]

Answer 2

expr = 5 x^4 - 6 x^3*y - 3 x^2*y^2 - 3 x*y^3 - y^4 + x^8 + x^7 + 
  x^7*y + 4 x^6*y^2 + x^6*y^2 + x^6*y + x^6 + x^5*y^3 + 4 x^5*y^3 + 
  4 x^5*y^2 - x^5*y^2 + x^5*y + x^4*y^4 + x^4*y^4 + x^4*y^4 + 
  x^4*y^3 - x^4*y^3 + x^4*y^2 + 3 x^4*y^2 + 3 x^3*y^5 + x^3*y^5 + 
  x^3*y^4 - x^3*y^4 + x^3*y^3 + x^3*y^3 + x^2*y^6 + x^2*y^6 - 
  x^2*y^5 + x^2*y^4 + x^2*y^4 + x*y^7 - x*y^6 + 6 x*y^5 + y^8 + y^6 - 
  x^3 + x*y^2 + 5 x^6 + x^5 - 4 x^4*y^2 + 3 x^4 - 7 x^3*y^2 + 
  x^2*y^4 + x^2*y^2 - x*y^4 + y^4;

As an exercise in pattern matching:

expr /. {Plus -> List
  , Times[_, Power[x, b_], Power[y, c_]] :> {b, c}
  , Times[___, x, Power[y, c_]] :> {1, c}
  , Times[___, Power[x, b_], y] :> {b, 1}
  , Times[_, Power[x, b_]] :> {b, 0}
  , Times[_, Power[y, c_]] :> {0, c}
  , Power[x, b_] :> {b, 0}
  , Power[y, b_] :> {0, b}
  }

---

Result

{{3, 0}, {4, 0}, {5, 0}, {6, 0}, {7, 0}, {8, 0}, {3, 1}, {5, 1}, {6, 
  1}, {7, 1}, {1, 2}, {2, 2}, {3, 2}, {5, 2}, {6, 2}, {1, 3}, {3, 
  3}, {5, 3}, {1, 4}, {2, 4}, {4, 4}, {1, 5}, {2, 5}, {3, 5}, {0, 
  6}, {1, 6}, {2, 6}, {1, 7}, {0, 8}}

Answer 3

I assume that the polynomial does not need to be held in the form you list? It simplifies to:

-x^3 + 8 x^4 + x^5 + 6 x^6 + x^7 + x^8 - 6 x^3 y + x^5 y + x^6 y + x^7 y + x y^2 - 2 x^2 y^2 - 7 x^3 y^2 + 3 x^5 y^2 + 5 x^6 y^2 - 3 x y^3 + 2 x^3 y^3 + 5 x^5 y^3 - x y^4 + 3 x^2 y^4 + 3 x^4 y^4 + 6 x y^5 - x^2 y^5 + 4 x^3 y^5 + y^6 - x y^6 + 2 x^2 y^6 + x y^7 + y^8

In that case:

a = 5 x^4 - 6 x^3*y - 3 x^2*y^2 - 3 x*y^3 - y^4 + x^8 + x^7 + x^7*y + 
   4 x^6*y^2 + x^6*y^2 + x^6*y + x^6 + x^5*y^3 + 4 x^5*y^3 + 
   4 x^5*y^2 - x^5*y^2 + x^5*y + x^4*y^4 + x^4*y^4 + x^4*y^4 + 
   x^4*y^3 - x^4*y^3 + x^4*y^2 + 3 x^4*y^2 + 3 x^3*y^5 + x^3*y^5 + 
   x^3*y^4 - x^3*y^4 + x^3*y^3 + x^3*y^3 + x^2*y^6 + x^2*y^6 - 
   x^2*y^5 + x^2*y^4 + x^2*y^4 + x*y^7 - x*y^6 + 6 x*y^5 + y^8 + y^6 -
    x^3 + x*y^2 + 5 x^6 + x^5 - 4 x^4*y^2 + 3 x^4 - 7 x^3*y^2 + 
   x^2*y^4 + x^2*y^2 - x*y^4 + y^4;

b = a /. _Integer*z_ -> 1*z

c = b /. {Times[Power[x, a_], y] -> HoldForm[{a, 1}]}

d = c /. (x^a_*y^b_) -> HoldForm[{a, b}]

e = d /. {x^a_ -> HoldForm[{a, 0}], y^b_ -> HoldForm[{0, b}]}

f = e /. Times[x, HoldForm[List[a_, b_]]] -> HoldForm[{a + 1, b}]

g = List @@ f

h = g /. HoldForm -> Sequence

Results in:

{{0, 6}, {0, 8}, {2, 2}, {2, 4}, {2, 5}, {2, 6}, {3, 0}, {3, 1}, {3, 
  2}, {3, 3}, {3, 5}, {4, 0}, {4, 4}, {5, 0}, {5, 1}, {5, 2}, {5, 
  3}, {6, 0}, {6, 1}, {6, 2}, {7, 0}, {7, 1}, {8, 0}, {1, 2}, {1, 
  3}, {1, 4}, {1, 5}, {1, 6}, {1, 7}}

ETA: if you carry out g = List @@ f at the start, you won't need the HoldForm commands which keep Plus from evaluating.