>>>-2**2
>>>
>>>what the answer... I lost my bet with my secondary schoolgirl daughter... :(
>>
>>If it reads the way I think it does, I'd say 4.
>
>VFP says 4 but online math calculators and mine math engineer friend says -4 and unfortunately my little daughter says -4 too...

Then they've changed the rules on us.

-2**2 = (-2)(-2) = 4

last time I checked, a negative times a negative = a postive. And I'd really want the explaination of how -2**2 does not translate to (-2)(-2)