noobishnoob
New member
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2017
- Messages
- 9
HINT: The rules for exponents are among the most miss-understood in all of mathematics.I found this "proof" but I can't seem to find the fallacious step.
\(\displaystyle \{-\ 1)^{1/2}\}^2 = (\pm i)^2 = -\ 1.\)
You missed a squareOther than missing an open parenthesis (by typo?), the plus or
minus symbol should not be there:
\(\displaystyle \{(-1)^{1/2}\}^ \ = \ (i)^2 \ = \ -1.\)
\(\displaystyle (-1)^{1/2} \ = \ \sqrt{-1} \ = \ i \)
I had always thought that you could replace one expression for an equivalent one UNTIL I looked at exponents carefully!HINT: The rules for exponents are among the most miss-understood in all of mathematics.
Can you spot one is that so-called proof?
You missed a square
To the corner for 4^2 minutes...with no smartphone!!Thank you. My expression had "^" at the end, followed by nothing instead of "^2" at the end in the Latex format.
I went back and edited it.