Cube Root

The Cube Root at U+221B denotes the mathematical operation of taking a number whose third power equals the given value. It sits in the Mathematical Operators block and is read as “cube root of,” as in ∛27 = 3. Its primary home is mathematics education, algebra, and technical writing where compact notation is useful. In equations, ∛x identifies the value y such that y³ = x, so ∛8 is 2 and ∛−8 is −2 in real-number arithmetic. It appears in topics such as volume scaling, polynomial equations, dimensional analysis, and formulas involving inverse cubic relationships. In calculators, textbooks, and digital math material, this character is a convenient single-symbol alternative to writing a radical sign with a small 3 index. Many professional typesetting systems still prefer an indexed radical for complex expressions, especially when the radicand is long, but the standalone cube root sign is clear for short plain-text formulas. A useful distinction is that ∛ is specifically the cube root operator, not a general radical sign. For fourth roots and other higher roots, separate notation or an indexed radical is normally used.