Final answer:
Arnie's notation of -3.1^4 is not correct for representing the multiplication of -3.1 four times. The correct notation should be (-3.1)^4, as it indicates that both the number and the negative sign are raised to the fourth power. Option b) is the correct choice: No, he should use a different notation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The notation -3.1^4 generally means negative three point one to the fourth power, which is not the same as multiplying -3.1 by itself four times. When you raise -3.1 to the fourth power, it is implied that only the 3.1 is raised to the power, not the negative sign, unless there are parentheses around the whole term. So, Arnie's notation should instead be written with an exponent, but to accurately represent the given expression (-3.1) x (-3.1) x (-3.1) x (-3.1), it should be noted with parentheses as (-3.1)^4. This means that Arnie's notation is somewhat incorrect and option b) is the correct choice: No, he should use a different notation.