What does the nth root look like?

The nth root of a number ( a ) is expressed as ( \sqrt[n]{a} ) or ( a^{1/n} ). It represents a value that, when raised to the power of ( n ), equals ( a ). For example, the cube root of 8, written as ( \sqrt[3]{8} ), equals 2 because ( 2^3 = 8 ). The nth root can have one or more real solutions depending on whether ( n ) is even or odd and the sign of ( a ).