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Full Version: Any way of calculating square root of a negative number on HP 35S?
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If one enters a negative number and take the square root, it gives back an error...the 35S has some imaginary support, but apparently not as transparent as the 42S et5c where it gives back the complex result...Is there any way of doing square roots of a negative number on the 35S and getting back a complex result?
(01-22-2019 10:32 PM)zeno333 Wrote: [ -> ]IIs there any way of doing square roots of a negative number on the 35S and getting back a complex result?

Try;

0.5
yx
.

V.
.
(01-22-2019 10:40 PM)Valentin Albillo Wrote: [ -> ]0.5
yx

Based on Egan's test this leads to:

INVALID y^x
(01-22-2019 10:32 PM)zeno333 Wrote: [ -> ]Is there any way of doing square roots of a negative number on the 35S and getting back a complex result?

There is a simple rule:
The 35s usually tries to return a real result. If no real result exists, it returns an error.
But if at least one argument is complex, it returns a complex result.

So there is an easy solution: use 0,5 i 0 yx.

–2 [ENTER] 0,5 i 0 [yx] => 0 i 1,4142....

Dieter
(01-23-2019 08:50 AM)Dieter Wrote: [ -> ]
(01-22-2019 10:32 PM)zeno333 Wrote: [ -> ]Is there any way of doing square roots of a negative number on the 35S and getting back a complex result?

There is a simple rule:
The 35s usually tries to return a real result. If no real result exists, it returns an error.
But if at least one argument is complex, it returns a complex result.

So there is an easy solution: use 0,5 i 0 yx.

–2 [ENTER] 0,5 i 0 [yx] => 0 i 1,4142....

Dieter

That method works with the power function, but does not work with the sqrt key if one enters -2 i 0 and then chooses the sqrt key. So entering a number using complex input does not work for all functions.
(01-24-2019 04:15 AM)zeno333 Wrote: [ -> ]That method works with the power function, but does not work with the sqrt key if one enters -2 i 0 and then chooses the sqrt key. So entering a number using complex input does not work for all functions.

Right, the 35s does not support complex arguments for all of its functions. The available ones are mentioned in the manual. √x is not one of them. So simply use the power function instead. This is the way to calculate complex square roots on the 35s.

Dieter
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