Re: i: imaginary solution to constraints of a real number system? or just a hoax

From: Rainer Rosenthal (r.rosenthal_at_web.de)
Date: 08/21/04 

Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2004 19:32:49 +0200

"David Bandel" <

> let me put this in simplistic terms:
>
> -3 squared is -9

Well I knew the term "fooling around".
But this is a fine example of "fooling asquare" :-))

Let M = -3. We know that M = 12 - 15. Let's compute
(-3)^2 = M^2 according to (a-b)^2 = a^2 -2ab + b^2:

M^2 = (12-15)^2 = 12^2 -2*12*15 + 15^2 = 144-360+225
    = (144+225) - 360 = 369 - 360 = 9.

Aha: M^2 = 9, not -9. Good to know (and to remember.)

Rainer Rosenthal
r.rosenthal@web.de