Since in many situations only the positive square root has any meaning, to be clear that both square roots are to be considered, in mathematics the convention is to use a sign, pronounced "plus or minus" to signify the distinct possibilites:
+
Since in many situations only the positive square root has any meaning, to be clear that both square roots are to be considered, in mathematics the convention is to use a sign, pronounced "plus or minus" to signify the distinct solutions: