Square root any nonnegative number, then the principal square root of −"x" is The right side (as well as its negative) is indeed a square root of −"x", since For every non-zero complex number "z" there exist precisely two numbers "w" such that : the principal square root of "z" (defined below), and its negative. There are two complex numbers that square to a given arbitrary non-zero imaginary number formula_11 with real formula_12 where the two-digit pattern {3, 6} repeats over and over again in the partial denominators. Since , the above is also identical to the following generalized continued fractions: The
Square root of a 2 by 2 matrix use the simplified formula where "a" = ±√"A" and "d" = ±√"D"; which, for the various sign choices, gives four, two, or one distinct matrices, if none of, only one of, or both "A" and "D" are zero, respectively. Because it has duplicate eigenvalues, the 2×2 identity matrix formula_10 has infinitely many symmetric rational square roots given by where is any Pythagorean triple—that is, any set of positive integers such that formula_12 In addition, any non-integer, irrational, or complex values of "r, s, t" satisfying formula_13 give square root matrices. The identity matrix also has infinitely many non-symmetric square roots.