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From: tightgas@nmtvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.math
Subject: Using square roots in proofs
Message-ID: <439@nmtvax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 12-Sep-83 03:22:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: nmtvax.439
Posted: Mon Sep 12 03:22:46 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 12-Sep-83 19:59:55 EDT
Organization: New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM
Lines: 11

The 'proofs' that use square roots apparently depend on the
ambiguity of the square root.  1 and -1 are both square roots of 1.
Likewise, i and -i are both square roots of -1.  If the inappropriate
one of the square roots is used in an equation, then the equality can
be destroyed.  An obvious example is:
1 = 1
sqrt(1) = sqrt(1)
1 = -1

Neal Kilmer
New Mexico Tech