You can try the `format' package (do load(format)).
User documentation is /share/contrib/format/format.ps
For another approach, try
http://www.math.utexas.edu/pipermail/maxima/2007/008787.html
(%i46) sfactor(a*x^2+b*x+c,x);
(%o46) a*(x+b/(2*a))^2+c-b^2/(4*a)
BW
maxima-bounces at math.utexas.edu wrote on 11/28/2007 10:37:33 AM:
> Is there a built in function, which does the transformation
>
> a*x^2+b*x+c ==> a*(x-d)^2+e ?
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> Volker van Nek
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