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What is the square root of -1 and why?

 Jun 11, 2017
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The square root of -1 does not have a 'real'  value because 

 

if a negative number is squared then the answer is positive and 

if a positive number is squared the answer is positive too

 

SO no number squared equals a negative number!

 

There is another number system which include numbers that are not real.  It is called  'The complex number system.' 

It has imaginary numbers and sqrt(-1) is the base unit for the whole set of imaginary numbers.

In hre complex number system i is usually assigned the value of  sqrt(-1), although very occasionally j is used instead.

 

So

\(i=\sqrt{-1}\)

 

 

I hope that helps :)

 Jun 12, 2017

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