negative number raised to even power

[DrD]

I see unary negation as an operation, since it 'operates' on the location of a number on the number line. I see the decimal point as a separator, (ip.fp) which I think is a distinction WITH a difference.

We may just have to live with a dual definition for the value of -2^2, since there is rationale on either side of the argument. It may be that the definition might just 'turn' when the context is made clear: computer science (man/machine technology), or fundamental mathematics, the written legacy. It's sort of unfortunate that the computer science approach isn't universally applied across all applicable computing technologies, or that mathematics isn't able to accommodate changeable rules, and still arrive at the one correct result!