Expression in questions involving complex analysis can often have multiple values. In such questions, should the answer provide the principal value as an answer first and then clarify that the expression has multiple values, or just give a formula from where multiple values of the expression can be extracted?
Take my answer to a particular question as an example, I give the principal value of $(-1)^\pi$ as an intial answer ($(-1)^\pi=\ldots$), but then clarify that this one of the multiple values of $(-1)^\pi$, and then give a formula for it.
Even though it is wrong to write "$(-1)^\pi=\ldots$" since it has infinitely many values, I feel that giving the principal value as an answer intially would make it easy for someone to understand the starting concept of the answer, before it goes to the idea of multiple values.
Thoughts?