5.

2
Logarithmic Functions

y y = ex y=x

y = ln x

1
x
1
 Logarithms
 We’ve discussed exponential equations of the form
y = bx (b > 0, b ≠ 1)
 But what about solving the same equation for y?
 You may recall that y is called the logarithm of x to the
base b, and is denoted logbx.

✦ Logarithm of x to the base b

y = logbx if and only if x = by (x > 0)
 Examples
 Solve log3x = 4 for x:
Solution
 By definition, log3x = 4 implies x = 34 = 81.
 Examples
 Solve log164 = x for x:
Solution
 log164 = x is equivalent to 4 = 16x = (42)x = 42x, or 41 = 42x,
from which we deduce that
2 x 1
1
x
2
 Examples
 Solve logx8 = 3 for x:
Solution
 By definition, we see that logx8 = 3 is equivalent to

8 23  x 3
x 2
 Logarithmic Notation

log x = log10 x Common

logarithm
ln x = loge x Natural logarithm
 Laws of Logarithms

 If m and n are positive numbers, then

log b mn log b m  logb n

1. m
log b log b m  log b n
n
2.
log b m n n log b m
3.
log b 1 0
4.
log b b 1
5.
 Examples
 Given that log 2 ≈ 0.3010, log 3 ≈ 0.4771, and log 5 ≈ 0.6990,
use the laws of logarithms to find
log15 log 3 5
log 3  log 5
0.4771  0.6990
1.1761
 Examples
 Given that log 2 ≈ 0.3010, log 3 ≈ 0.4771, and log 5 ≈ 0.6990,
use the laws of logarithms to find
log 7.5 log(15 / 2)
log(3 5 / 2)
log 3  log 5  log 2
0.4771  0.6990  0.3010
0.8751
 Examples
 Given that log 2 ≈ 0.3010, log 3 ≈ 0.4771, and log 5 ≈ 0.6990,
use the laws of logarithms to find
log81 log 34
4 log 3
4(0.4771)
1.9084
 Examples
 Given that log 2 ≈ 0.3010, log 3 ≈ 0.4771, and log 5 ≈ 0.6990,
use the laws of logarithms to find
log 50 log 5 10
log 5  log10
0.6990  1
1.6990
 Examples
 Expand and simplify the expression:

log 3 x 2 y 3 log 3 x 2  log 3 y 3

2 log 3 x  3log 3 y
 Examples
 Expand and simplify the expression:

x2 1
log 2 x log 2  x 2  1  log 2 2 x
2
log 2  x 2  1  x log 2 2
log 2  x 2  1  x
 Examples
 Expand and simplify the expression:

x2 x2  1 x 2 ( x 2  1)1/2
ln x
ln
e ex
ln x 2  ln( x 2  1)1/2  ln e x
1
2 ln x  ln( x 2  1)  x ln e
2
1
2 ln x  ln( x 2  1)  x
2
 Logarithmic Function

 The function defined by

f ( x) log b x (b  0), b 1)

is called the logarithmic function with base b.
 The domain of f is the set of all positive numbers.
 Properties of Logarithmic Functions

 The logarithmic function

y = logbx (b > 0, b ≠ 1)
has the following properties:
1. Its domain is (0, ).
2. Its range is (– , ).
3. Its graph passes through the point (1, 0).
4. It is continuous on (0, ).
5. It is increasing on (0, ) if b > 1
and decreasing on (0, ) if b < 1.
 Properties Relating
Exponential and Logarithmic Functions

 Properties relating ex and ln x:

eln x =x (x > 0)
ln ex =x (for any real number x)
 Examples
 Solve the equation 2ex + 2 = 5.
Solution
 Divide both sides of the equation by 2 to obtain:

x 2 5
e  2.5
2
 Take the natural logarithm of each side of the equation
and solve:
ln e x 2 ln 2.5
( x  2) ln e ln 2.5
x  2 ln 2.5
x  2  ln 2.5
x  1.08
 Examples
 Solve the equation 5 ln x + 3 = 0.
Solution
 Add – 3 to both sides of the equation and then divide both
sides of the equation by 5 to obtain:
5ln x  3
3
ln x   0.6
5
and so:

eln x e  0.6
x e  0.6
x 0.55
5.3
Differentiation of the Exponential Function

1
 1
2
, e  1/2   1
2
, e  1/2 
22
f ( x ) e  x
x
–1 1
 Rule 1
Derivative of the Exponential Function

 The derivative of the exponential function with

base e is equal to the function itself:

d x
dx
e  e x
 Examples
 Find the derivative of the function f ( x )  x 2e x
Solution
 Using the product rule gives

d 2 x 2 d x d
f ( x ) 
dx
 x e   x
dx
e x
  e
dx
 x2 

 x 2e x  e x (2 x )
 xe x ( x  2)
 Examples
 
t 3/2
 Find the derivative of the function g (t )  e  2
Solution
 Using the general power rule gives

3 t 1/2 d
g (t )  e  2  et  2 
2 dt
3 t
 e  2  e
1/2 t

2
3 t t
 e e  2 
1/2

2
 Rule 2
Chain Rule for Exponential Functions

 If f(x) is a differentiable function, then

d f ( x)
dx
e  e f ( x)
f ( x )
 Examples
 Find the derivative of the function f ( x ) e 2 x
Solution
d
f ( x ) e 2x
2 x 
dx
e 2 x (2)
2e 2 x
 Examples
 Find the derivative of the function y e  3x
Solution
dy  3x d
e (  3x )
dx dx
e  3 x (  3)
 3e  3 x
 Examples
2
 Find the derivative of the function g (t ) e 2 t t

Solution
d
g (t ) e 2 t 2 t
 2t 2  t 
dt
2 t 2 t
(4t  1)e
 Examples
 Find the derivative of the function y  xe  2 x
Solution
dy d  2x  2x d
 x e   e x 
dx dx dx
 d 
 x  e  2 x  2 x   e  2 x (1)
 dx 
 xe  2 x (  2)  e  2 x
 2 xe  2 x  e  2 x
e  2 x (1  2 x )
 Examples
t
 Find the derivative of the function g (t )  e
et  e  t
Solution
t d t d
e t
 e  dt   dt 
e t
 e e t
 e t

g (t ) 
e  e 
t t 2


e t
 e  t et  et et  e  t 
e t
e 
t 2

e2t  1  e2t  1

e t
e t 2

2

e t
e 
t 2
5.4
Differentiation of Logarithmic Functions

y  x 2 ( x  1)( x 2  4)3
ln y ln[ x 2 ( x  1)( x 2  4)3 ]
ln( x 2 )  ln( x  1)  ln( x 2  4) 3
2 ln x  ln( x  1)  3ln( x 2  4)
 Rule 3
Derivative of the Natural Logarithm

 The derivative of ln x is

d 1
ln x  ( x 0)
dx x
 Examples
 Find the derivative of the function f ( x )  x ln x
Solution
d d
f ( x )  x  (ln x )  ln x  ( x )
dx dx
 1
 x    ln x (1)
 x
1  ln x
 Examples
 Find the derivative of the function g ( x ) 
ln x
x
Solution
d d
x  (ln x )  ln x  ( x )
g ( x )  dx dx
x2
1
x   ln x (1)
 x 2
x
1  ln x

x2
 Rule 4
Chain Rule for Logarithmic Functions

 If f(x) is a differentiable function, then

d f ( x )
 ln f ( x )  [ f ( x )  0]
dx f ( x)
 Examples
 Find the derivative of the function f ( x ) ln( x 2  1)
Solution
d 2
 x  1
f ( x )  dx 2
x 1
2x
 2
x 1
 Examples
 Find the derivative of the function y ln[( x 2  1)( x 3  2) 6 ]
Solution
y ln[( x 2  1)( x 3  2) 6 ]
ln( x 2  1)  ln( x 3  2) 6
ln( x 2  1)  6ln( x 3  2)

d 2 d 3
( x  1) ( x  2)
dy dx dx
  6
dx x2 1 x3  2
2x 3x 2
 2 6 3
x 1 x 2
2x 18 x 2
 2  3
x 1 x  2
 Logarithmic Differentiation
 We have seen how finding derivatives of logarithmic
functions becomes easier when applying the laws of
logarithms.
 These laws can also be used in a process called logarithmic
differentiation to permit the differentiation of functions
that would be difficult to differentiate or even not be
differentiable through other means.
 Examples
 Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of

y  x ( x  1)( x 2  1)
Solution
 Take the natural logarithm of both sides of the equation:

ln y ln[ x ( x  1)( x 2  1)]

 Use the laws of logarithms to rewrite the equation:

ln y ln( x )  ln( x  1)  ln( x 2  1)

 Differentiate both sides of the equation:

d d d d
ln y  ln( x )  ln( x  1)  ln( x 2  1)
dx dx dx dx
1 1 2x
   2
x x 1 x 1
 Examples
 Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of

y  x ( x  1)( x 2  1)
Solution
 On the left side, note that y is a function of x, therefore:

y  f ( x)
ln y ln[ f ( x )]
d d
ln y  ln[ f ( x )]
dx dx
f ( x )

f ( x)
y

y
 Examples
 Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of

y  x ( x  1)( x 2  1)
Solution
 Thus, we have:
d 1 1 2x
ln y   
dx x x 1 x2 1
y 1 1 2x
  
y x x 1 x2 1
 Examples
 Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of

y  x ( x  1)( x 2  1)
Solution
 Finally, solving for y′ we get:

 1 1 2x 
y y    2 
 x x  1 x  1 
2 1 1 2x 
 x ( x  1)( x  1)    2 
 x x  1 x  1 
 Logarithmic Differentiation

 To find dy/dx by logarithmic differentiation:

1. Take the natural logarithm on both sides of the
equation and use the properties of logarithms
to write any “complicated expression” as a sum
of simpler terms.
2. Differentiate both sides of the equation with
respect to x.
3. Solve the resulting equation for dy/dx.
 Examples
 Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of
y  x 2 ( x  1)( x 2  4)3
Solution
1. Take the natural logarithm of both sides of the equation
and use the laws of logarithms to rewrite the equation:

ln y ln[ x 2 ( x  1)( x 2  4)3 ]

ln( x 2 )  ln( x  1)  ln( x 2  4) 3
2 ln x  ln( x  1)  3ln( x 2  4)
 Examples
 Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of
y  x 2 ( x  1)( x 2  4)3
Solution
2. Differentiate both sides of the equation:
d d d d
ln y 2 ln x  ln( x  1)  3 ln( x 2  4)
dx dx dx dx
1 1 2x
2    3 2
x x 1 x 4
2 1 6x
   2
x x  1 x 4
 Examples
 Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of
y  x 2 ( x  1)( x 2  4)3
Solution
3. Solve for dy/dx:
d 2 1 6x
ln y   
dx x x 1 x2  4
y 2 1 6x
  
y x x 1 x2  4

 2 1 6x 
y  y    2 
 x x  1 x  4 
2 2 3 2 1 6x 
 x ( x  1)( x  4)    2 
 x x  1 x  4 
 Examples
 Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of
f ( x) x x ( x  0)
Solution
1. Take the natural logarithm of both sides of the equation
and use the laws of logarithms to rewrite the equation:

ln f ( x ) ln x x
 x ln x
 Examples
 Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of
f ( x) x x ( x  0)
Solution
2. Differentiate both sides of the equation:

d d d
ln f ( x )  x  (ln x )  ln x  ( x )
dx dx dx
1
 x   ln x (1)
x
1  ln x
 Examples
 Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of
f ( x) x x ( x  0)
Solution
3. Solve for dy/dx:
d
ln f ( x ) 1  ln x
dx
f ( x )
1  ln x
f ( x)

f ( x )  f ( x )(1  ln x )
 x x (1  ln x )
 End of
Chapter