What is $\sqrt[4]{-1}$ So, we all know that $\sqrt{-1}=i$, that $\sqrt{-2}=\sqrt2i$, and so on. And that, for example, $\sqrt[3]{-27}=-3$. But I was wondering; what would $\sqrt[4]{-1}$ be? Since all $n^{th}$ roots of $-1$ that are odd result in $-1$ (Because $-1^{1,3,5,7,9,\dots}=-1$), I wondered what variation of $i$ would even roots of $-1$ give? (Like $\sqrt{-1},\sqrt[4]{-1},\sqrt[6]{-1},\dots$)

We will use Euler's Identity, $$e^{i\pi} + 1 = 0,\tag1$$ or in particular, $$\begin{align} e^{i\theta} &= \cos\theta + i\sin\theta \\ &= \text{cis}\,\theta.\end{align}\tag2$$

From $(1)$, we get that $e^{i\pi} = -1$, thus $$\begin{align} \left(e^{(i\pi)/2}\right)^{1/2} &= e^{(i\pi)/4} \\ &= \sqrt [4] {-1}.\end{align}$$ Now, using $(2)$, by substituing $\theta = \dfrac{\pi}{4}$, we obtain the following result: $$\begin{align} \sqrt [4] {-1} &= \cos \left(\frac{\pi}{4}\right) + i\sin\left(\frac{\pi}{4}\right) \\ \\ &= \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}} + i\left(\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\right) \\ \\ &= \boxed{ \ \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\left(1+i\right). \ }\end{align}$$ See what pattern you can find now with the sequence, $\sqrt{-1}, \sqrt [4] {-1}, \sqrt [6] {-1},\ldots$
