In mathematics, a square root of a number x is a number y such that y^2 = x, or in other words, a number y whose square is x. The square root is the inverse operation of squaring a number. The symbol for square root is √ . The positive number, when multiplied by itself, represents the square of the number. The square root of the square of a positive number gives the original number. Every non-negative real number has a unique non-negative square root, called the principal square root or simply the square root. The term (or number) whose square root is being considered is known as the radicand. Most square roots are irrational, meaning that their decimal form continues forever without a repeating pattern. The square root of a negative number represents a complex number. The formula to find the square root is y = √a, where y^2 = a.