This section is an exploration of radical functions, their uses and their mechanics.

By the end of this chapter students should be able to:
  • Simplify numeric radicals
  • Simplify algebraic radicals - using absolute values only when necessary.
  • Determine the domain of a given radical function.
  • explain the fundamental difference between even and odd radicals.
  • Use radicals as an inverse to a polynomial term.
  • Solve equalities that involve radical functions
  • Determine what solutions to an equality with radicals are extraneous.
  • Correctly use the sign only when it is needed.
  • Identify which forms of a radical expression can, or cannot, be simplified.