The tutor focuses on Python’s pow(x,y) command.

Back in my post on May 3, 2014 I pointed out that

In the left expression above, c is the root while b is the exponent. Some might also call b the “power”. The variable a you might call the argument.

On this website I use the familiar notation

Note that it follows that

√(49)=49^(1/2)=7

since the exponent on 49 in the left expression, not being written, is understood to be 1, while the root, not being stated, is assumed to be 2.

Another example:

³√(125)=(125)^(1/3)=5

Python’s pow function seems to favour the a^(b/c) interpretation. Before using pow, you need the line

import math

to make pow available. Then, pow can be used as follows:

math.pow(argument, rational exponent)

Therefore, the little program

import math
print(str(math.pow(3,2)))
print(str(math.pow(8,1/3)))
print(str(math.pow(32,2/5)))

should yield the output

9.0
2.0
4.0

I’ll be talking more about Python math functions in future posts:)

Source:

Donaldson, Toby. Python, 3rd Ed. Peachpit Press, 2014

Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.