Sec 4.
2
2 x 2 x2 =8; 3
2 =8
log 2 8=3
10 x 10 =100; 102=100∨log 10 100=2
34 =81∨log 3 81=4
Logarithmic Functions
The inverse of exponential functions are logarithmic
functions
Definition: If x is a positive number and b>0, b ≠1
then
y=log b x if ∧only if b y =x
4
log 2 16=4∨2 =16
4
log 3 81=4 ; 3 =81
1. x
log b b =x
3
log 2 2 =x
x
log b ¿
2. ¿
¿
b¿
log
¿
x
or ¿ 10 ¿
¿
10¿
Examples: 1.
3
log 2 8=3 means 2 =8
ii) From 2
3 =9it follows that log 3 9=2
iii) From 2
5 =25 it follows that log 5 25=2
Log refers to an exponent.
Graphs of Logarithmic Functions.
If base b >1, the graph is the mirror image of the
graph of an exponential function with base b> 1 in
the line y = x.
Ex: Plot the graph of y=log 2 x
Some properties:
1.The domain of a logarithmic function is x>0 or
(0, ∞ ¿.
The log of a negative number or zero does not
exist.
2.The range is the interval (−∞ , ∞ ) .
3. The logarithm of 1 is zero and so the x
intercept is 1.
Some important logarithms are log to the base
10 denoted by log x and log to the base e
denoted by ln x.
ln x is read as the natural log of x.
Properties of Logarithms
1. log b ( uv )=log b u+log b v
Log(2x)=log2+logx
log ( x 2 y ) =log x 2+logy
Log20 +log3=log(20*3)
Log3+log4+logx=log(3*4*x)
2. log b ( uv )=log u−log v
b b
Log(5/3)=log5-log3
Log(x/2)=logx-log2
Logx-log4=log(x/4)
Ln(x+1)-ln3=ln(x+1/3)
3. r
log b u =r log b u
2
ln x =2lnx
log 23=3 log 2
3x
log 2 =3 xlog 2
xln3=ln 3 x
4. log b u=log b v if ∧only if u=v
Examples:
1. Find log √ 5
1
1 1
log √ 5=log5 2 = log5 ≈ ( 0.6990 )=0.3495
2 2
2. Simplify log
( x1 )
2 in terms of log x
log
( x1 )=log1−log ( x )=0−log ( x )=−2logx .
2
2 2
1
Since this is defined only for x>0 we have log
( )
x2
=−2 log x=−2 log|x|
3. Simplify log ( 1621 )
log ( 1621 )=log 16−log 21
Combining Logarithms
Write ln x−ln ( x +1 ) as a single logarithm.
lna−ln b=ln ( ab )
So ln x−ln ( x +1 )=ln ( x +1x )
Wrtie ln ( zwx ) in terms of lnx ,lnz∧lnw .
ln ( zwx )=ln x−ln ( zw )=ln x −lnz−lnw
√
8
x 5 ( x −2 )
Write ln
3
in terms of lnx ,ln(x-2) and ln(x-3) .
x−3
√
5 8 5 8 1/ 3 5 8
ln
x ( x −2 )
3
x−3
=ln
x ( x−2 )
x−3 ( ) 1 x ( x−2 )
= ln
3 x−3
1 1
¿ { ln (x5 ( x−2 )8 – ln ( x−3 )) }= {ln x 5 + ln ( x−2 )8 −ln( x −3)}
3 3
1
= 3
{5 lnx+8 ln ( x−2 ) −ln ( x−3 ) }
Simplify I ) ln e
3x
e
ln¿=3 x
ln e 3 x =3 x ¿
ii) Find
2
e (ln x ) .
e (ln x )=x 2
iii) Solve
2
10log x =25
x 2=25 so x=5∧x=−5
Important: ln x 2 ≠ ( lnx )2 . Here ln x2=ln ( x . x )∧( lnx )2=( lnx )( lnx )
Notation:
( lnx )2=ln 2 x
Change of Base Formula
log
¿
b
¿a¿
¿
¿
¿
log m
( m )= ¿a
log b ¿
Example: Express log x in terms of natural logarithms.
10
lnx
log e ¿=
ln 10
¿
x=log e x /¿
x=log 10 ¿
log¿
Write the following in terms of lnx, ln(x+1) and ln(x+2)
1. ln √5 x
( x+1)3
5 1
ln
√ x =ln √5 x−ln (x+1)3=ln x 5 −ln ( x +1 )3= 1 lnx−3 ln ( x+ 1)
3
(x +1) 5
x 2 ( x +1)
2. Qs ln
x+2
2
x ( x+1 ) 2 2
ln =ln x ( x+1 ) −ln ( x+ 2 )=ln x + ln ( x+1 )−ln ( x+ 2 )=2 lnx +ln ( x+ 1 )−ln ( x +2 )
x +2
Ex: Graph of x
y=2 ∧ y=log 2 x on the same axes.
1.For example, log 100 = x means
x
10 =100. So x=2. Hence log 100 = 2
2.ln e = x means x
e =e . So x = 1.
Hence ln e = 1.
Solving logarithmic and exponential
equations.
1.Solve log 2 x=4.
The equation can be written as 24 =x
So x = 16
2.Solve ln(x+1)=7
We have 7 7
e =x +1. Hence x=e −1
3.Solve log x 49=2
This means x =49. So x=7. 2
The base of a logarithmic number can never
be negative so we reject x = -7.
4.Solve 5x
e =4
ln 4
5 x=ln 4, So x=
5
5..
5 2 2 2 2
1+ e−2 x
3 ()
=3 5=3+3 e−2 x 2=3 e−2 x =e−2 x ln
3 ()
=lne−2 x ln
3
=−2 x so x=
−1
2 ()
ln
3
Solving an exponential equation
Find x if ( 25 ) x+2=53 x−4
x+2
( 52 ) =53 x−4
( 5 )2 x+ 4=5 3 x−4
2x+4=3x-4
X=8
Solve 5+(3)4 x-1 =12
Solution: we first isolate the exponential expression
4 x-1 on one side of the equation.
5+ ( 3 ) 4
x−1
=12
( 3 ) 4 x−1 =7
7
4 x−1=
3
7
ln 4 x−1=ln ( )
3
( x−1)ln 4=ln 7−ln 3
ln 7−ln 3
x−1=
ln 4
ln 7−ln3
x= +1
ln 4
Example:
The demand equation for a product is
1−0.1 q
p=12
Use common logs to express q in terms of p.
Solution:
log p=log (121-0.1q)
log p=(1-0.1q)log 12
logp
=1−0.1 q
log12
logp
0.1 q=1−
log 12
q= ( 0.11 )( 1− loglogp12 )
Solving a logarithmic equation:
Solve log 2 x=5−log 2 (x+ 4)
Solution:
log 2 x+log 2 ❑ ( x +4 )=5
y
log 2 [ x ( x +4 ) ]=5 as log b x= y implies b =x
x ( x +4 )=25
2
x + 4 x=32
(x−4)(x+ 8)=0
x=4∨x=−8
We require x greater than 0, so x=4 is the only
solution.