Answer:
The phrase is negative because you're moving backwards
(a,1)(a,2)(a,3)(a,4)(b,1)(b,2)(b,3)(b,4)
It is already in radical form......... but, if you want us to make it into exponential form, it is 8x^(2/3)
9/16 ways to go...unless the gate is closer you didn't really say where the gate is
