Concept

Radical Equation with No Solution

A radical equation has no solution when isolating the square root on one side of the equation results in the radical equaling a negative number. Because the radical sign x\sqrt{\phantom{x}} always denotes the principal (non-negative) square root, the value of any square root expression is always greater than or equal to zero:

a0for all a0\sqrt{a} \geq 0 \quad \text{for all } a \geq 0

Therefore, no value of the variable can make a square root expression equal a negative number, and the equation has no solution. When this situation arises during Step 1 of the solving procedure — after isolating the radical — there is no need to continue with the remaining steps (squaring, solving, and checking). The absence of a solution is determined immediately.

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Updated 2026-04-21

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