Finding Curvature of Helix Given Parametric Equation

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Homework Statement



Find the curvature of a helix given by the parametric equation r(t)=<acost, asint, bt> where a and b are real numbers

Homework Equations



I know k=|T'(t)/r'(t)|

The Attempt at a Solution



and I believe the answer to be k=b/(a2+b2)1/2, I just don't know how to get there
 
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I don't know, but your answer disagrees with the simple case where b=0.
 
There are two things I don't understand about this problem. First, when finding the nth root of a number, there should in theory be n solutions. However, the formula produces n+1 roots. Here is how. The first root is simply ##\left(r\right)^{\left(\frac{1}{n}\right)}##. Then you multiply this first root by n additional expressions given by the formula, as you go through k=0,1,...n-1. So you end up with n+1 roots, which cannot be correct. Let me illustrate what I mean. For this...
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