The expression x^(1/3) represents the cube root of x . This means that if you multiply x^(1/3) by itself three times, you will get back x . For example, if x = 27 , then 27^(1/3) = 3 because 3 \times 3 \times 3 = 27 . Cube roots can be applied to both positive and negative numbers. For instance, (-8)^(1/3) = -2 since -2 \times -2 \times -2 = -8 . This property distinguishes cube roots from square roots, which only yield non-negative results for non-negative inputs.