Why is -2 * -2 = 4 but -2^2 = -4? Shouldn't it be also 4 because -2^2 = -2 * -2 or is it?
Exponentiation takes priority over negation, so -2^4 is -(2^4). If you want the negation to take priority you would need to emphasise this by writing (-2)^4.
Thank you very much!
