Algebra Patterns

Algebra patterns from real study and application. Every entry has a date and context.

2026-03-22: Fractional Exponents as Radicals

Problem: Rendering fractional exponent notation in AsciiDoc stem:[] — kept hitting bracket escaping issues

Context: College algebra documentation, writing study notes

The Fix:

// Fractional exponent: a^(m/n) = nth root of a^m
stem:[a^{m/n} = \sqrt\[n\]{a^m}]

// Note: must escape brackets \[ \] inside stem:[]

Principle: \$a^{1/n}\$ is the nth root. The denominator is the root, the numerator is the power. Bracket escaping in AsciiDoc is a documentation pattern; the math itself is the insight.

Source: WRKLOG-2026-03-22, College Algebra study