Roots of Real Numbers

Finding the square root of a number and squaring a number are inverse operations.

To find the square root of a number n, you must find a number whose square is n. For example, a square
root of 49 is 7 since 72 = 49. Likewise, (–7)2 = 49, so –7 is also a square root of 49.

Definition of Square Root

For any real numbers a and b, if a2 = b, then a is a square root of b.

NOTE: Every positive real number has two real number square roots. The number 0 has
just one square root, 0 itself. Negative numbers do not have real number square roots.

Understanding the symbols

This symbol
represents the principal square root of a.
The principal square root of a non-negative number is its nonnegative
square root.
For example:
In other words,

To name the negative square root of a we use this symbol.

For example:

To indicate both square roots, use the plus/minus sign which indicates
positive or negative.
For example:

Negative numbers do not have real number square roots.

For example:

Terminology

The symbol
is called a radical sign. An expression written with a radical sign is called a radical
expression. The expression written under the radical sign is called the radicand.
 Examples:

Simplify completely. Do not

use a calculator.

NOTE:

Since m could be any real

number value, positive or

negative, and the symbol used

in the principal square root, we

should indicate the absolute

value of m to ensure the result

is non-negative.

NOTE: A perfect square

trinomial can be factored to be
the product of a binomial
squared. Absolute value bars
are needed since this is the
principal square root.

Cube Roots
Definition of Cube Root

The number c is the cube root of a if its third power is a, that is, c3 = a. Every real
number has exactly one cube root in the real number system.

For example: 2 is the cube root of 8 because 23 = 8, or

.

–3 is the cube root of –27 because (–3)3 = –27, or

 NOTE:
No absolute value signs are needed when finding cube roots, because a real
number has just one cube root. The cube root of a positive number is
positive. The cube root of a negative number is negative.

nth Roots
For any real numbers a and b, and any positive integer n, if an = b, then a is the nth
root of b.

example:

Whenever the number n in is an odd number, we say we are taking an odd root.
When the index is an even number, we say that we are taking an even root. The
number n is called the index. When the index is 2 we do not write it.

When we take any odd root of a number, we find that there is just one answer. If the
number is positive, the root is positive. If the number is negative, the root is
negative.

Every positive real number has two nth roots when n is even. One of these roots is
positive and one is negative. Negative real numbers do not have nth roots when n is
even.

Absolute value signs are never needed when finding odd roots. When finding even
nth roots, absolute value signs are sometimes necessary, as with square roots.

examples:

odd index – one answer only,

no absolute value bars
needed.
even index – two nth roots are
possible, we only want the
non-negative root. Absolute
value bars are needed to
ensure y is non-negative.

odd index – one answer only, a

negative constant, no absolute
value bars needed since index
is odd.
 A SQUARE ROOT RADICAL is "simplified" when the radicand has no
square factors.

Example 1. 33, for example, has no square factors. Its factors are
3· 11, neither of which is a square number. Therefore, is
simplified, or, as we say, in its simplest form.

Example 2. 18 has the square factor 9. 18 = 9· 2. Therefore,

is not in its simplest form. To put a radical in its simplest form,
we make use of this theorem:

The square root of a product is equal to the product of

the square roots
of each factor.
Therefore,
= = · =3
We have simplified .

Problem 1. Simplify the following.

a) = = =5
b) = = =3
c) = =7
42 has no square factors. Therefore, is in
d) its simplest form.
e) = = 10
f) = =5
g) = =4

Problem 2. Reduce to lowest terms.

a) = = =
2 2 2

b) = = =2
3 3 3
The radical is in its simplest form. The fraction
c) 2
=
cannot be reduced.
 Similar radicals
Similar radicals have the same radicand. We add them as like
terms.
7+2 +5 +6 − = 7+8 +4

7 does not "belong" to any radical.

Problem 3. Simplify each radical, then add the similar radicals.

a) + =3 +2 =5

b) 4 −2 + 4 −2 +
=
<>

= 4· 5 − 2· 7 +

= 20 − 14 +
=7

c) 3 + −2 3 + −2
=
<>

= 3· 2 +2 − 2· 4

=6 +2 −8
=2 −2

d) 3 + + =3 + +

=3 + 2 +3

=3 + 5

e) 1 − + =1 − +

=1 − 8 +3

=1 − 5
 Problem 4. Simplify the following.

a)
2
= =2 − on dividing each
2 , term in the
numerator by 2.

b) = = 2+
5 5

c) = =
6 6 3

Simplifying powers

Example 3. Since the square of any power produces an even

exponent -
(a )² = a
3 6

-- then the square root of an even power will be half the exponent.
=a 3

As for an odd power, such as a , it is composed of an even power

7

times a:
a = aa
7 6

Therefore,
= =a 3

Problem 5. Simplify each radical. (Assume a ≥ 0.)

a)
= b) = c) =
a² a5 an
e)
d) = =a = = a4

g)
f) = = a7 = = an

Problem 6. Simplify each radical. Remove the even powers.

(Assume that the variables do not have negative values.)
a) =
= 2x

=
b) = 2x²y 3

=
= 3x yz²
4

c)

Factors of the radicand

Problem 7. True or false? That is, which of these is a formal rule of
algebra? (Assume that the variables do not have negative values.)
True. This is the rule. The square root
a) of a product
is the product of the square roots of
each factor.
False. The radicand is not made up of
b) = + factors, as in part a).

c) = a + False! The radicand is not made

b up of factors.

d) = T
a rue.

e) = a + True. The radicand is

b (a + b)².

Problem 8. Express each radical in simplest form.

a) = =2 . Make factors!
b) = = 2a
c) = = 3b

We have assumed that the variables of the radicand do not have

negative values. Thus, when x ≥ 0, then
.
But if x < 0 -- if, for example, x = −5 -- then
 Ex.
-- because the square root is never negative. Rather, when x < 0,
then

In general, then, for any value of x, positive or negative, we can

identify with the absolute value of x.

Fractional radicand
A radical is also in it simplest form when the radicand is not a
fraction.

Example 4. The denominator a square number. When the

denominator is a square number, as , then
= 12

Example 5. = The definition of

division

=1
2

Problem 9. Simplify each radical.

1 b) =1 c) =2
a)
= 3 = 3 = 5

=5
d)
6
=
Example The denominator not a
6. square number.
 Simplify .
Solution. When the denominator is not a square number, we can
make it a square number by multiplying it. In this example, we will
multiply it by itself, that is, by 2. But then we must multiply the
numerator also by 2:
= = =1
2

Example 7. Simplify .
Solution. The denominator must be a perfect square -- it must be
composed of even powers. Therefore, simply multiply the
denominator -- and the numerator -- by bc. Then extract the even
powers.
a
= =
b 3

c
4

Problem 10. Simplify each radical.

1 1 1
a) = b) = c) =
= = =
3 5 7

5
= =
d)
= 6
x
a
2
= f) =²
e)
= b
= x
c²
²