Factorization of polynomials in supertropical algebra

Abstract

Tropical geometry is a degeneration of classical geometry which loose the property of unique factorization for polynomials. In this paper we explore a structure that is known to be a semi-degeneration between the classical algebra and the tropical algebra, and show that unique factorization fails in several variables due to geometric reasons, not just algebraic. We also show that unique factorization does hold for a certain interesting subset of polynomials.