nth root implementation

Question

I am working on a way to calculate the n^th root of a number. However, I am having problems with the n^th root of negative numbers.

Most people s

Answer 1

What are you trying to do? Unless you're planning to fully and properly handle complex numbers you cannot take the nth root of a negative number.

For example, while (-8)^(1/3) has a principal branch of -2, the only branches of (-4)^(1/2) are 2i and -2i.

To handle this properly you need to transform the number into its polar form and then take the required root in that form.

So -8 is the complex number 8*exp(i*pi). The 1/3 roots of that are 2*exp(i*pi/3), 2*exp(i*pi), and 2*exp[i*(-pi)/3]. Then you can use de Moivre' formula to compute the roots in the form a + bi.