College Algebra / Alg 204 · Atom · ~20 seconds
The Lost-Root Error
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The lost-root error answers x² = k with √k alone; the negative root solves the equation too, and half the answer is missing.
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For x² = 9, writing x = 3 abandons x = −3 — yet (−3)² = 9 checks as well as 3² does.
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The principal-root convention governs the symbol, not the equation.
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