Question

Simplify (-i `sqrt 3` )`^2` . how do you simplify this?

`^2`

Answer 1

-3

Explanation:

We can write the original function in its expanded form as shown

`(-isqrt(3))(-isqrt(3))`

We treat `i` like a variable, and since a negative times a negative equals a positive, and a square root times a square root of the same number is simply that number, we get the below equation

`i^2 * 3`

Remember that `i = sqrt(-1)` and operating with the square root rule shown above, we can simplify as shown below

`-1 * 3`

Now it's a matter of arithmetic

`-3`

And there's your answer :)