Lecture Notes Logarithms
Lecture Notes Logarithms
If y=10 x then x=log y , which is the power that 10 must be raised to the obtain the
given y value.
Note: y >0 because 10 x is always ¿ 0. I.E. we can only take log of a +’ve number.
Consider the graph of y=10 x , log y means to find x given y from the curve y=10 x ,
opposite to the usual way to find y given x.
In fact log and exponential of the same base are inverse functions.
Therefore we have:
and so on.
Exercise A
B. Logarithms in Base a (lo g a)
Similarly,
lo ga x x
x=a and lo g a a =x
Exercise B
C. (Three Important) Laws of Logarithms
In General,
Proof 1:
Proof 2:
Then b m=¿
m mr
log b =log 10 =mr=m log b
Exercise C
D. Natural Logarithms (base e, ln)
Exercise D
E. (Different Forms of) Logarithmic Equations
Exercise E
F. The Change of Base Rule
Proof:
Exercise F
G. Solving Exponential Equation using log
x
a =b
x log a=log b
log b
x=
log a
Exercise G
H. Log Functions
y= p ln ( x−h ) +k
Exercise H