Let one number be x.
The other number is x².
Find x:
x² + x = 42
x² + x - 42 = 0
(x + 7) (x - 6) = 0
x = - 7 or x = 6
x = -7 is rejected since the question asked for a positive number.
Find the numbers:
one number = x = 6
the other number =6² = 36
Answer: 6 and 36