Factorize $x^4 + y^4 -x^2 y^2$ over $\mathbb C$ As in the title, I'd like to factorize $x^4 + y^4 - x^2y^2$ into irreducible factors over $\mathbb C$ (i.e. linear factors).
Attempts:
First I tried doing
$$x^4 + y^4 - x^2y^2 = (x^2 - y^2)^2 + x^2y^2 \\ = (x^2 - y^2) - (ixy)^2 \\ = (x^2 - y^2 - ixy)(x^2 - y^2 + ixy) $$
And I got stuck at this point.
Second (desperately), I expanded
$$(a_1 x + b_1y)(a_2 x + b_2 y)(a_3 x + b_3 y)(a_4 x + b_4 y)$$
and compared it to $x^4 + y^4 - x^2y^2$, but let's just say it didn't go smoothly.
I think there should be a nice way to do it. Anybody?

Note that $x^2 - y^2 - ixy = y^2 \left( (\frac{x}{y})^2 - i(\frac{x}{y}) -1 \right)$, which is simply a quadratic in $(\frac{x}{y})^2$, multiplied by $y^2$. Factorise the quadratic and then multiply $y^2$ back in. Do the same with the other factor to finish.
