I was playing with the (beautiful) polynomial x^4 - 10x^2 + 1.
Look what happens:
In[46]:= f[x_] := x^4 - 10x^2 + 1
a = Sqrt[2];
b = Sqrt[3];
Simplify[f[ a + b]]
Simplify[f[ a - b]]
Simplify[f[-a + b]]
Simplify[f[-a - b]]
Out[49]= 0
Out[50]= 0
Out[51]= 0
Out[52]= 0
In[53]:= Solve[f[x] == 0, x]
Out[53]= {{x->-Sqrt[5-2 Sqrt[6]]},{x->Sqrt[5-2 Sqrt[6]]},{x->-Sqrt[5+2 Sqrt[6]]},{x->Sqrt[5+2 Sqrt[6]]}}
In[54]:= Simplify[Solve[f[x] == 0, x]]
Out[54]= {{x->-Sqrt[5-2 Sqrt[6]]},{x->Sqrt[5-2 Sqrt[6]]},{x->-Sqrt[5+2 Sqrt[6]]},{x->Sqrt[5+2 Sqrt[6]]}}
In[55]:= FullSimplify[Solve[f[x] == 0, x]]
Out[55]= {{x->Sqrt[2]-Sqrt[3]},{x->Sqrt[5-2 Sqrt[6]]},{x->-Sqrt[5+2 Sqrt[6]]},{x->Sqrt[2]+Sqrt[3]}}
Sqrt[5-2 Sqrt[6]] is equal to Sqrt[3]-Sqrt[2].
However, Mathematica's FullSimplify does not simplify Sqrt[5-2 Sqrt[6]].
Question: Should I use other more specialized functions to algebraically solve the equation? If so, which one?
Indeed, Solve doesn't simplify all roots to the max:

A FullSimplify postprocessing step simplifies two roots and leaves two others untouched:

Same initially happens with Roots:

Strange enough, now FullSimplify simplifies all roots:

The reason for this is, I assume, that for the default ComplexityFunction some of the solutions written above in nested radicals are in a sense simpler than the others.
BTW FunctionExpand knows how to deal with those radicals:


FullSimplify[ Solve[x^4-10x^2+1==0,x]
,
ComplexityFunction ->
(StringLength[ToString[
InputForm[#1]]] & )]
gives
{{x -> Sqrt[2] - Sqrt[3]}, {x -> -Sqrt[2] + Sqrt[3]}, {x -> -Sqrt[2] -
Sqrt[3]}, {x -> Sqrt[2] + Sqrt[3]}}
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