extracting the monomials from a multivariable polynomial

>
> Is there a function which will extract the list of monomials in a
> multivariable polynomial? For instance...:
>
> p: 2*x^2*y^2 -> [2*x^2*y^2]
> p: 2 + x^2 + y  -->  [2, x^2, y]
> p: x*y + 3*x^3 - y^4 --> [x*y, 3*x^3, - y^4]
>

In these cases, the monomials are simply the arguments to the "+" function,
so "args" will work:

     args( 2 + x^2 + y ) =>  [2, x^2, y]

However, this won't work in cases like

     args( x + %pi + 1) => [1, %pi, x]
     args( sqrt(2)*x + x ) => [sqrt(2)*x, x]
     args( a*x + x ) => [a*x, x]            <<< where a is a parameter, not
a variable

...where you'll first need to collect coefficients using facsum, check
whether the result is a sum, and collect the constant terms (by multiplying
the whole thing by a dummy variable):

  monomials(p,vars) :=
    block([inflag:true],
       p: apply('facsum,cons('?zwzwz * p, vars)),
       if mapatom(p) or op(p)#"+" then [p / '?zwzwz]
         else args( p ) / '?zwzwz )

monomials((x+y+a+%pi+1)^2,[x,y]) =>
     [ (a+%pi+1)^2, 2*(a+%pi+1)*x, x^2, 2*(a+%pi+1)*y, 2*x*y, y^2 ]

Is this what you had in mind?  You might also want to look at the ratcoef
function for a different way of cutting up polynomials.

          -s