What is the square root of this equation?
#x^2# =-16
1 Answer
Apr 14, 2017
Explanation:
Given:
#x^2 = -16#
We might say that to solve the equation you should take the square root, which essentially means take the square root of both sides of the equation. The problem with such a statement is that under normal circumstances any non-zero number has two square roots. Those roots may be real or non-real complex roots, but one is minus the other.
In our example we find:
#x = +-4i#
where
That is:
#x = 4i" "# or#" "x = -4i#
So you could say that "the square root of the equation" is the disjunction:
#x = 4i vv x = -4i#
which we abbreviate to:
#x = +-4i#