To find the value of i raised to the power of 2, we start by defining what i is. In mathematics, i is known as the imaginary unit, which is defined as the square root of -1.
Thus, when we calculate i to the power of 2:
i² = i × i = √(-1) × √(-1) = -1.
Therefore, the answer is -1. This property of the imaginary unit is fundamental in complex number theory, where complex numbers are expressed in the form of a + bi, with a and b being real numbers.