Final answer:
To solve for x in the equation x^2 = -625, we take the square root of 625, which is 25, and multiply it by the imaginary unit i to get the solutions: x = -25i and x = 25i.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve the equation x2 = -625 over the complex numbers, we first look at the definition of a square root. The square root of a number is that number which, when multiplied by itself, gives the original number. In this case, since we have a negative number, we need to use the imaginary unit i where i2 = -1. So to get the square roots of -625, we first find the square root of 625, which is 25, and then multiply by i to account for the negative sign under the radical.
Therefore, the two complex solutions will be:
We list these in increasing order: -25i, 25i.