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Solution 1.3:5b

If we use \displaystyle 4 = 2\cdot 2 = 2^{2}, the power rules give

\displaystyle 4^{-\frac{1}{2}} = \bigl( 2^{2}\bigr)^{-\frac{1}{2}} = 2^{2\cdot (-\frac{1}{2})} = 2^{-1} = \frac{1}{2}\,.